Ganoderic acid alleviates chemotherapy-induced fatigue in mice bearing colon tumor

The Role of Natural Products from Herbal Medicine in TLR4 Signaling for Colorectal Cancer Treatment

The toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway constitutes an intricate network of protein interactions primarily involved in inflammation and cancer. This pathway triggers intracellular signaling cascades, modulating transcription factors that regulate gene expression related to immunity and malignancy. Previous studies showed that colon cancer patients with low TLR4 expression exhibit extended survival times and the TLR4 signaling pathway holds a significant role in CRC pathogenesis. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have garnered substantial attention as an alternative therapeutic modality for CRC, primarily due to their multifaceted composition and ability to target multiple pathways. Emerging evidence indicates that specific TCM products, such as andrographolide, rosmarinic acid, baicalin, etc., have the potential to impede CRC development through the TLR4 signaling pathway. Here, we review the role and biochemical processes of the TLR4 signaling pathway in CRC, and natural products from TCMs affecting the TLR4 pathway. This review sheds light on potential treatment strategies utilizing natural TLR4 inhibitors for CRC, which contributes to the advancement of research and accelerates their clinical integration into CRC treatment.

SIRT4 promotes neuronal apoptosis in models of Alzheimer's disease via the STAT2-SIRT4-mTOR pathway

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and presents a considerable disease burden. Its pathology involves substantial neuronal loss, primarily attributed to neuronal apoptosis. Although sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) has been implicated in regulating apoptosis in various diseases, the role of SIRT4 in AD pathology remains unclear. The study used APP/PS1 mice as an animal model of AD and amyloid-β (Aβ)1-42-treated HT-22 cells as an AD cell model. SIRT4 expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. A Sirt4 knockdown model was established by intracranial injection of lentivirus-packaged sh-SIRT4 and cellular lentivirus transfection. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to examine Aβ deposition in mice and apoptosis, respectively. Protein expression was assessed by Western blot analysis. The UCSC and JASPAR databases were used to predict upstream transcription factors of Sirt4. Subsequently, the binding of transcription factors to Sirt4 was analyzed using a dual-luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. SIRT4 expression was upregulated in both APP/PS1 mice and Aβ-treated HT-22 cells compared with their respective control groups. Sirt4 knockdown in animal and cellular models of AD resulted in reduced apoptosis, decreased Aβ deposition, and amelioration of learning and memory impairments in mice. Mechanistically, SIRT4 modulates apoptosis via the mTOR pathway and is negatively regulated by the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2). Our study findings suggest that targeting the STAT2-SIRT4-mTOR axis may offer a new treatment approach for AD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The study reveals that in Alzheimer's disease models, SIRT4 expression increases, contributing to neuronal apoptosis and amyloid-β deposition. Reducing SIRT4 lessens apoptosis and amyloid-β accumulation, improving memory in mice. This process involves the mTOR pathway, regulated by STAT2 transcription factor. These findings suggest targeting the STAT2-SIRT4-mTOR axis as a potential Alzheimer's treatment strategy.

Ganoderic acids alleviate atherosclerosis by inhibiting macrophage M1 polarization via TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by lipid infiltration and plaque formation in blood vessel walls. Ganoderic acids (GA), a class of major bioactive compounds isolated from the Chinese traditional medicine Ganoderma lucidum, have multiple pharmacological activities. This study aimed to determine the anti-atherosclerotic effect of GA and reveal the pharmacological mechanism.

METHODS

ApoE-/- mice were fed a high-cholesterol diet and treated with GA for 16 weeks to induce AS and identify the effect of GA. Network pharmacological analysis was performed to predict the anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms. An invitro cell model was used to explore the effect of GA on macrophage polarization and the possible mechanism involved in bone marrow dereived macrophages (BMDMs) and RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or oxidized low-density lipoprotein.

RESULTS

It was found that GA at 5 and 25 mg/kg/d significantly inhibited the development of AS and increased plaque stability, as evidenced by decreased plaque in the aorta, reduced necrotic core size and increased collagen/lipid ratio in lesions. GA reduced the proportion of M1 macrophages in plaques, but had no effect on M2 macrophages. In vitro experiments showed that GA (1, 5, 25 μg/mL) significantly decreased the proportion of CD86+ macrophages and the mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and MCP-1 in macrophages. Experimental results showed that GA inhibited M1 macrophage polarization by regulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that GA play an important role in plaque stability and macrophage polarization. GA exert the anti-atherosclerotic effect partly by regulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathways to inhibit M1 polarization of macrophages. Our study provides theoretical basis and experimental data for the pharmacological activity and mechanisms of GA against AS.

Biomarkers of fatigue in oncology: A systematic review

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing side effect of cancer and treatment, affecting both patients during active treatment and survivors, negatively impacting quality of life. While its exact cause remains uncertain, various mechanisms such as immune dysfunction, HPA-axis dysfunction, and treatment toxicity are proposed. Inflammatory biomarkers of CRF have been explored in previous research, but non-inflammatory markers have not been comprehensively studied. This systematic review analysed 33 studies to identify non-inflammatory peripheral blood biomarkers associated with CRF. Promising markers included Hb, blood coagulation factors, BDNF, tryptophan, GAA, mtDNA, platinum, CA125, and cystatin-C. Inconsistent findings were observed for other markers like VEGF, leptin, and stress hormones. Most studies focused on adults. Research in pediatrics is limited. This review showed partial evidence for the inflammaging hypothesis (neurotoxicity due to neuro-inflammation) laying at the basis of CRF. Further research, especially in pediatrics, is needed to confirm this hypothesis and guide future biomarker studies.

Exploring the effect and mechanism of Aloin A against cancer cachexia-induced muscle atrophy via network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics and experimental validation

80% of advanced cancer patients suffer from cachexia, but there are no FDA-approved drugs. Therefore, it is imperative to discover potential drugs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims at exploring the effect and targets of Aloin A against cancer cachexia (CC)-induced muscle atrophy.

METHODS

Network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) and animal model of CC-induced muscle atrophy with a series of behavior tests, muscle quality, HE staining and RT-PCR were performed to investigate the anticachectic effects and targets of Aloin A and its molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

Based on network pharmacology, 51 potential targets of Aloin A on CC-induced muscle atrophy were found, and then 10 hub genes were predicted by the PPI network. Next, KEGG and GO enrichment analysis showed that the anticachectic effect of Aloin A is associated with PI3K-AKT, MAPK, TNF, TLR, etc., pathways, and biological processes like inflammation, apoptosis and cell proliferation. Molecular docking and MD results showed good binding ability between the Aloin A and key targets. Moreover, experiments in vivo demonstrated that Aloin A effectively rescued muscle function and wasting by improving muscle quality, mean CSA, and distribution of muscle fibers by regulating HSP90AA1/AKT signaling in tumor-bearing mice.

CONCLUSION

This study offers new insights for researchers to understand the effect and mechanism of Aloin A against CC using network pharmacology, molecular docking, MD and experimental validation, and Aloin A retards CC-induced muscle wasting through multiple targets and pathways, including HSP90AA1/AKT signaling, which provides evidence for Aloin A as a potential therapy for cancer cachexia in clinic.

Germplasm resources and secondary metabolism regulation in Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)

Ganoderma lucidum is a valuable medical macrofungus with a myriad of diverse secondary metabolites, in which triterpenoids are the major constituents. This paper introduced the germplasm resources of genus Ganoderma from textual research, its distribution and identification at the molecular level. Also we overviewed G. lucidum in the components, the biological activities and biosynthetic pathways of ganoderic acid, aiming to provide scientific evidence for the development and utilization of G. lucidum germplasm resources and the biosynthesis of ganoderic acid.

Ganoderma lucidum extract promotes tumor cell pyroptosis and inhibits metastasis in breast cancer

Regulation of tumor cell death is a fundamental mechanism for tumor treatment. However, most tumors are resistant to cell death. Triggering inflammatory cell death, pyroptosis, may provide a new view of enhancing tumor cell death. Here we report a new role of Ganoderma lucidum extract (GLE) in pyroptotic cell death. Treatment with GLE (50-200 μg/mL) significantly elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and caused pyroptotic cell death in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, GLE activates caspase 3 and further cleaves the gasdermin E (GSDME) protein to form pores on the cell membrane, releasing massive amounts of inflammatory factors in breast cancer cells. We also showed that GLE enhanced antitumor immune responses by substantially increasing the subsets of natural killer (NK) and CD8⁺T cells in the peripheral immune system and tumor microenvironment. In addition, GLE destroys multiple steps of tumor metastasis, including adhesion, migration, invasion, colonization, and angiogenesis. Collectively, these results suggest that GLE provides a potential approach for breast cancer treatment, which may complement chemotherapy or immunotherapy for cancer metastasis.

Combination of Chinese medicinal formulas and chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer strengthens body resistance to eliminate pathogenic factors

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of strengthening the body's resistance to eliminate pathogenic factors in Chinese medicinal formulas combined with chemotherapy (hereafter referred to as combined therapy [CT]) in triple-negative breast cancer.

METHODS

By searching the 7 electronic databases, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese Academic Journal, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Science and Technology Journal, from the beginning of the establishment to April 2022 to identify eligible randomized controlled trial studies.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis showed that compared with chemotherapy, CT can effectively improve the objective remission rate (risk ratio [RR]: 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28, 1.52; P < .00001, I2 = 3%), reduce the recurrence rate (RR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.78; P = .01, I2 = 0%) metastasis rate (RR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.73; P = .0006, I2 = 0%) and the incidence of toxic and side reactions, lower tumor marker levels, regulated T lymphocyte subset changes, and increased average progression-free survival (standardized mean difference: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.41, 4.14; P < .0001, I2 = 97%), and improve the quality of life (RR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.99; P = .0005, I2 = 52%).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that CT appears to be an effective and safe treatment approach. Although this conclusion requires further confirmation owing to insufficient quality of the included trials.

Effects of Sophora flavescens aiton and the absorbed bioactive metabolite matrine individually and in combination with 5-fluorouracil on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells in nude mice

Background: Sophora flavescens aiton (SFA) and its main bioactive metabolite matrine are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations and have achieved good curative effects for the treatment of various tumors. However, the mechanisms underlying SFA and matrine individually and in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment of gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. Aim of the study: To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the ability of SFA and matrine individually and in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs to inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of human GC cells. Materials and methods: Forty-eight nude mice were randomly divided into six groups that were treated with normal saline (model group), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), SFA decoction (SFAD), matrine, SFAD+5-FU, or matrine+5-FU. A subcutaneous heterotopic tumor model was established in nude mice by implantation of human GC BGC-823 cells. All mice were treated for 28 days. Bioactive metabolites in SFA were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The tumor volume, tumor weight, and tumor inhibition rate of mice were documented. Histopathology and ultramicroscopic pathology of tumor tissues were observed. The tumor cell cycle and apoptosis in vivo were detected. Serum levels of PCNA, BAX, Bcl-2, Caspase-9, Caspase-3 and cleaved Caspase-3 were measured. Protein levels of MS4A10, MS4A8, MS4A7, PCNA, BAX, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and cleaved Caspase-3 were measured in tumor tissues. Results: Both SFAD and matrine inhibited the growth of transplanted GC cells, which was more effective when combined with 5-FU. The tumor inhibition rates of the 5-FU, SFAD, matrine, SFAD+5-FU, and matrine+5-FU groups were 53.85%, 33.96%, 30.44%, 59.74%, and 56.55%, respectively. The body weight of tumor-bearing nude mice was greater in the SFAD group than the normal saline and matrine groups. SFAD+5-FU and matrine+5-FU blocked BGC-823 cells in the G0-G1/S transition, promoted apoptosis, and significantly decreased the content of serum apoptosis-inhibitory proteins (PCNA and Bcl-2) as well as protein expression of MS4A8, MS4A10, Bcl-2, and PCNA in tumor tissues, while increasing serum levels of pro-apoptotic proteins (Caspase-9, Caspase-3 and cleaved-Caspase-3) and protein expression of BAX and cleaved-Caspase-3 in tumor tissues. Conclusion: SFAD and matrine both individually and in combination with 5-FU ameliorated malignancy of transplanted tumors by reducing proliferation and promoting apoptosis of BGC-823 cells. These findings confirm the anti-tumor synergistic effect of TCM and chemotherapeutic drugs.

Dual antioxidant activity and the related mechanisms of a novel pentapeptide GLP4 from the fermented mycelia of Ganoderma lingzhi

Oxidative stress causes chronic inflammation, and mediates various diseases. The discovery of antioxidants from natural sources is important to research. Here we identified a novel antioxidant peptide (GLP4) from Ganoderma lingzhi mycelium and investigated its antioxidant type and potential protective mechanisms. Through free radical scavenging assay, active site shielding validation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity assay, and lipid peroxidation assay, we demonstrated that GLP4 was a novel protective agent with both direct and indirect antioxidant activities. GLP4 could directly enter human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as an exogenous substance. Meanwhile, GLP4 promoted the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and activated the Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway, exhibiting antioxidant and anti-apoptotic cytoprotective effects on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced HUVECs. Pull-down experiments of GLP4 target proteins, bioinformatics analysis and molecular docking further revealed that GLP4 mediated Nrf2 activation through binding to phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5). The results suggested that GLP4 is a novel peptide with dual antioxidant activity and has promising potential as a protective agent in preventing oxidative stress-related diseases.

Yifei sanjie Pills Alleviate Chemotherapy-Related Fatigue by Reducing Skeletal Muscle Injury and Inhibiting Tumor Growth in Lung Cancer Mice

Chemotherapy-related fatigue (CRF), one of the most severe adverse effects observed in cancer patients, has been theoretically related to oxidative stress, and antioxidant treatment might be one of the most valuable therapeutic approaches. However, there are still few effective pharmacological therapies. Yifei Sanjie pills (YFSJ), a classical formula used to treat lung cancer as complementary and alternative medicine, have been proved to alleviate CRF of lung cancer patients in clinical practices. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clarified. In this study, our data showed that YFSJ alleviated CRF presented as reversing the decline of swimming time and locomotor activity induced by cisplatin (DDP). Moreover, YFSJ significantly reduces the accidence of mitophagy and mitochondrial damage and reduces apoptosis in skeletal muscle tissues caused by DDP. It probably works by decreasing the oxidative stress, inhibiting the activation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway, decreasing protein expression levels of Beclin1 and other autophagy-related proteins, and attenuating the activation of Cytochrome c (cyto. C), Cleaved Caspase-9 (c-Casp 9), and other apoptosis-related proteins. Furthermore, YFSJ enhanced DDP sensitivity by specifically promoting oxidative stress and activating apoptosis and autophagy in the tumor tissues of mice. It was also found that YFSJ reduced the loss of body weight caused by DDP, reversed the ascent of serum concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aminotransferase (AST), and creatinine (CREA), increased the spleen index, and prolonged the survival time of mice. Taken together, these results revealed that YFSJ could alleviate CRF by reducing mitophagy and apoptosis induced by oxidative stress in skeletal muscle; these results also displayed the effects of YFSJ on enhancing chemotherapy sensitivity, improving quality of life, and prolonging survival time in lung cancer mice received DDP chemotherapy.

The Protective Effects of Ganoderic Acids from Ganoderma lucidum Fruiting Body on Alcoholic Liver Injury and Intestinal Microflora Disturbance in Mice with Excessive Alcohol Intake

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of ganoderic acids (GA) from Ganoderma lucidum against liver injury and intestinal microbial disorder in mice with excessive alcohol intake. Results showed GA supplement significantly inhibited the abnormal elevation of the liver index, serum lipid parameters, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in mice exposed to alcohol intake, and also significantly protected the excessive lipid accumulation and pathological changes. Alcohol-induced oxidative stress in the liver was significantly ameliorated by GA intervention through reducing the levels of maleic dialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase and increasing the levels of glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase and alcohol dehydrogenase. Intestinal microbiota profiling demonstrated GA intervention modulated the composition of intestinal microflora by increasing the levels of Lactobacillus, Faecalibaculum, Romboutsia, Bifidobacterium and decreasing the Helicobacter level. Furthermore, liver metabolomic profiling suggested GA intervention had a remarkable regulatory effect on liver metabolism with excessive alcohol consumption. Moreover, GA intervention regulated mRNA levels of alcohol metabolism, fatty lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, bile acid biosynthesis and metabolism-related genes in the liver. Conclusively, these findings demonstrate GA intervention can significantly relieve alcoholic liver injury and it is hopeful to become a new functional food ingredient for the prevention of alcoholic liver injury.

Bcl-xL DNAzymes promote radiosensitivity and chemosensitivity in colorectal cancer cells via enhancing apoptosis

Background

RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes (DNAzymes) are catalytic deoxyribonucleic acid molecules that have become a promising new class of gene suppressors by binding and cleaving target mRNA. This study investigated whether DNAzymes targeting Bcl-xL enhanced the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells.

Methods

Two types of CRC cells, SW480 and SW837, were transfected with five DNAzymes. Cell viability, Bcl-xL expression and apoptosis were examined. SW480 xenograft model was used to examine the combined effects of Bcl-xL DNAzymes and 5-FU (or X-rays) on tumor growth.

Results

Three Bcl-xL DNAzymes, DT882, DT883, and DT884 were identified to be effective in suppressing Bcl-xL expression and causing cell apoptosis. Furthermore, DT882 combined with 5-FU or radiotherapy addictively promoted cell apoptosis and significantly inhibited the growth of SW480 xenografts in vivo.

Conclusions

These results suggest that Bcl-xL DNAzymes can enhance the radiosensitivity and chemosensitivity in CRC cells via inducing apoptosis.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40360-022-00553-x.

Ganoderic acid improves 5-fluorouracil-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapeutic drug with a good anti-cancer effect on various types of cancers, such as colorectal cancer and breast cancer. However, previous studies have found that 5-FU could induce cognitive deficit in clinics. As ganoderic acid, isolated from Ganoderma lucidum, has a protective effect on neurons, this study investigated the effects of ganoderic acid (GA) against 5-FU-induced cognitive dysfunction with a series of behavioral tests and related indicators. Experimental results showed that GA significantly prevented the reduction of spatial and non-spatial memory in 5-FU-treated mice. In addition, GA not only ameliorated the damage to hippocampal neurons and mitochondrial structure, but also significantly improved abnormal protein expression of mitochondrial biogenesis related marker PGC-1α, and mitochondrial dynamics related markers MFN2, DRP1 and FIS1 in the hippocampi of 5-FU-treated mice. Moreover, GA could up-regulate the expression of neuronal survival and growth-related proteins, such as BDNF, p-ERK, p-CREB, p-Akt, p-GSK3β, Nrf2, p-mTOR, and p-S6, in the hippocampi of 5-FU-treated mice. These results suggest that GA could prevent cognitive dysfunction in mice treated with 5-FU via preventing mitochondrial impairment and enhancing neuronal survival and growth, which provide evidence for GA as a promising adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy related cognitive impairment in clinics.

Chemotherapy-Induced Myopathy: The Dark Side of the Cachexia Sphere

Simple Summary

In addition to cancer-related factors, anti-cancer chemotherapy treatment can drive life-threatening body wasting in a syndrome known as cachexia. Emerging evidence has described the impact of several key chemotherapeutic agents on skeletal muscle in particular, and the mechanisms are gradually being unravelled. Despite this evidence, there remains very little research regarding therapeutic strategies to protect muscle during anti-cancer treatment and current global grand challenges focused on deciphering the cachexia conundrum fail to consider this aspect—chemotherapy-induced myopathy remains very much on the dark side of the cachexia sphere. This review explores the impact and mechanisms of, and current investigative strategies to protect against, chemotherapy-induced myopathy to illuminate this serious issue.

Abstract

Cancer cachexia is a debilitating multi-factorial wasting syndrome characterised by severe skeletal muscle wasting and dysfunction (i.e., myopathy). In the oncology setting, cachexia arises from synergistic insults from both cancer–host interactions and chemotherapy-related toxicity. The majority of studies have surrounded the cancer–host interaction side of cancer cachexia, often overlooking the capability of chemotherapy to induce cachectic myopathy. Accumulating evidence in experimental models of cachexia suggests that some chemotherapeutic agents rapidly induce cachectic myopathy, although the underlying mechanisms responsible vary between agents. Importantly, we highlight the capacity of specific chemotherapeutic agents to induce cachectic myopathy, as not all chemotherapies have been evaluated for cachexia-inducing properties—alone or in clinically compatible regimens. Furthermore, we discuss the experimental evidence surrounding therapeutic strategies that have been evaluated in chemotherapy-induced cachexia models, with particular focus on exercise interventions and adjuvant therapeutic candidates targeted at the mitochondria.