Propofol suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting NET1 through downregulating ERK/VEGF signaling pathway

Echinacoside regulates PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF cross signaling axis in proliferation and apoptosis of breast cancer

CONTEXT

Echinacoside (ECH) is a natural anti-cancer compound and is of great value in cancer treatment. However, the mechanism underlying this effect on breast cancer (BC) was unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanism of ECH treating BC by network pharmacology and experimental validation.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Several databases were searched to screen potential targets of ECH and obtain information on targets related to BC. STRING was applied to construct a Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. DAVID was applied for Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was searched for the relationship between the expression profile and overall survival of major targets in normal breast and BC tissues. Finally, the results of network pharmacology analysis were validated by experiments.

RESULTS

Seventeen targets of ECH overlapped with targets in BC. Ten hub targets were determined through PPI. By GO and KEGG analysis 15 entries and 25 pathways were obtained, in which phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) played greater roles. Validation of key targets in the GEPIA database showed that PIK3R1 and PIK3CD remained consistent with the results of the study. Experiments in vitro showed ECH inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis and reduced mRNA levels and protein expression of PI3K, AKT, hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, experiments in vivo revealed that ECH significantly reduced tumor growth, promoted apoptosis and decreased the related mRNA levels and protein expression, suggesting ECH works on BC by regulating PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway.

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION

In summary, ECH played an important role in anti-BC by regulating PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway. Furthermore, ECH had multi-target and multi-pathway effects, which may be a promising natural compound for treating BC.

Long-term effect of anesthesia choice on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing open liver resection

Clinical and experimental evidence suggested that anesthesia choice can influence cancer progression and patients' outcomes by modulating tumor microenvironment and tumorigenic pathways. Curative resection is the mainstay of therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is an intractable disease due to high recurrence and poor prognosis. However, different anesthetics may play different roles in alleviating surgery-induced stress response and inflammatory cytokines release that are considered to be closely associated with proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. Propofol, sevoflurane, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and local anesthetics have shown to exert anti-tumor effect on HCC mainly through regulating microRNAs or signaling pathways, while other inhalational agents, dexmedetomidine and opioids have the potential to promote tumor growth. In terms of anesthetic methods and analgesia strategies, propofol based total intravenous anesthesia and thoracic epidural analgesia could be preferred for HCC patients undergoing open liver resection rather than inhalational anesthesia. Local anesthesia techniques have great potential to attenuate perioperative stress response, hence they may contribute to more favorable outcomes. This review summarized the relations between different anesthesia choices and HCC patients' long-term outcomes as well as their underlying mechanisms. Due to the complexity of molecules interactions and signaling pathways, further studies are warranted to confirm these results so as to optimize anesthesia strategy for HCC patients.

Etomidate elicits anti-tumor capacity by disrupting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading malignancy of the digestive system, especially in China. Although radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and transarterial chemoembolization have achieved tremendous success, surgical resection remains the primary treatment for HCC patients. Recent studies have shown that intravenous anesthetic drugs may affect the malignant behaviors of tumor cells, ultimately leading to differences in the postoperative prognosis of patients. Etomidate is one of the most widely used intravenous anesthetic drugs for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia in tumor patients undergoing surgery. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of etomidate on HCC cells have not yet been characterized. Our study indicated that etomidate significantly impedes the malignant progression of HCC cells. Mechanistically, etomidate inhibits phosphorylation and, ultimately, the activity of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) by competing with ATP for binding to the ATP-binding pocket of JAK2. Thus, it suppresses the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in HCC cells to exert its anti-tumor efficacy. Herein, we provide preclinical evidence that etomidate is the optimal choice for surgical treatment of HCC patients.

Negative Modulation of the Angiogenic Cascade Induced by Allosteric Kinesin Eg5 Inhibitors in a Gastric Adenocarcinoma In Vitro Model

Eg5 is a kinesin essential in bipolar spindle formation, overexpressed in tumours, thus representing a new target in cancer therapy. We aimed at evaluating the anti-cancer activity of Eg5 thiadiazoline inhibitors 2 and 41 on gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS), focusing on the modulation of angiogenic signalling. Docking studies confirmed a similar interaction with Eg5 to that of the parent compound K858. Thiadiazolines were also tested in combination with Hesperidin (HSD). Cell cycle analysis reveals a reduction of G1 and S phase percentages when 41 is administered as well as HSD in combination with K858. Western blot reveals Eg5 inhibitors capability to reduce PI3K, p-AKT/Akt and p-Erk/Erk expressions; p-Akt/Akt ratio is even more decreased in HSD+2 sample than the p-Erk/Erk ratio in HSD+41 or K858. VEGF expression is reduced when HSD+2 and HSD+41 are administered with respect to compounds alone, after 72 h. ANGPT2 gene expression increases in cells treated with 41 and HSD+2 compared to K858. The wound-healing assay highlights a reduction in the cut in HSD+2 sample compared to 2 and HSD. Thus, Eg5 inhibitors appear to modulate angiogenic signalling by controlling VEGF activity even better if combined with HSD. Overall, Eg5 inhibitors can represent a promising starting point to develop innovative anti-cancer strategies.

The long-term survival outcomes of gastric cancer patients with total intravenous anesthesia or inhalation anesthesia: a single-center retrospective cohort study

Background

The relationship between the type of anesthesia and the survival outcomes of gastric cancer patients is uncertain. This study compared the overall outcome of gastric cancer patients after surgery with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or inhalation anesthesia (IHA).

Methods

Clinicopathological variables of gastric cancer patients were retrieved from the database of the Surgical Gastric Cancer Patient Registry in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Patients were grouped according to whether they received TIVA or IHA during the operation. Propensity score (PS) matching was used to balance the baseline variables, and survival outcomes were compared between these two groups. In addition, studies comparing survival outcomes between TIVA and IHA used for gastric cancer surgery and published before April 20th, 2020, were identified, and their data were pooled.

Results

A total of 2827 patients who underwent surgical treatment from Jan 2009 to Dec 2016 were included. There were 323 patients in the TIVA group and 645 patients in the IHA group, with 1:2 PS matching. There was no significant difference in overall survival outcomes between the TIVA and IHA groups before matching the cohort (p = 0.566) or after matching the cohort (p = 0.679) by log-rank tests. In the Cox hazard regression model, there was no significant difference between the TIVA and IHA groups before (HR: 1.054, 95% CI: 0.881–1.262, p = 0.566) or after (HR: 0.957, 95% CI: 0.779–1.177, p = 0.679) PS matching. The meta-analysis of survival outcomes between the TIVA and IHA groups found critical statistical value in the before PS matching cohort (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57–0.96 p < 0.01) and after PS matching cohort (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46–0.94, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Combined with the results of previous studies, total intravenous anesthesia has been shown to be superior to inhalation anesthesia in terms of overall survival for gastric cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment. The selection of intravenous or inhalation anesthesia for gastric cancer surgery should take into account the long-term prognosis of the patient.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08946-7.

Propofol induces hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis via regulating miR-105/JAK2/STAT3 axis

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of malignancy with high mortality. It has been reported Propofol could modulate the tumorigenesis of liver cancer; however, the mechanism by which Propofol regulates the development of HCC is still not clear.

METHODS

CCK8 assay was applied to test the cell viability. Flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were applied to detect the cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to investigate the association between miR-105 and JAK2. In addition, RNA and protein levels were investigated by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively.

RESULTS

Propofol significantly suppressed the proliferation of HCC cells via inducing the apoptosis. Consistently, miR-105 upregulation inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells, while downregulation of miR-105 reversed Propofol-induced HCC cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, JAK2 was found to be the direct target of miR-105. Furthermore, Propofol could inactivate JAK2/STAT3 signaling via upregulation of miR-105.

CONCLUSION

Propofol significantly attenuated HCC tumorigenesis via mediation of miR-105/JAK2/STAT3 axis. Thereby, Propofol might act as a new agent for the treatment of HCC.

Propofol activates AMPK to inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells in vitro and hepatocarcinogenesis in xenograft mouse tumor models by inducing autophagy

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal malignant tumor with a poor prognosis, and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effect of propofol on the proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle of HCC by regulating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

The cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was employed to screen the effect of propofol on HepG2 cell viability at various concentrations (0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 µM). We selected propofol at concentrations of 5, 10 and 20 µM for subsequent experiments. Flow cytometry was used to examine the apoptosis and cell cycle of HCC. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to measure the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and survivin. Western blotting was applied to measure the protein expression levels of PCNA, survivin, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, p27 (Kip1), and cyclin A. The effects of propofol were evaluated by establishing a xenograft tumor model.

Results

After treatment with propofol, the mRNA expression levels of PCNA and survivin were decreased compared with the 0 µM propofol (control) group. The colony formation assay showed that the colony formation rate was obviously down-regulated. Flow cytometry demonstrated that HepG2 cell apoptosis was increased. G0/G1 was enhanced compared with the control group, while G2/M was restrained. The levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, p27, phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (p-AMPKα1), phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), and phospho-Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (p-ULK1) were notably elevated, while the levels of cyclin A were suppressed. The xenograft tumor volume declined in vivo compared with the HepG2 xenograft group. The expression levels of cell proliferation markers (PCNA) were significantly down-regulated markedly, while the expression levels of cell cycle markers (p27) were notablyup-regulated. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining showed that cell apoptosis was increased. The levels of p-AMPKα1 were also up-regulated.

Conclusions

Propofol inhibits the proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle of HCC by regulating AMPK in vivo and in vitro.