Anti-melanoma activity of Forsythiae Fructus aqueous extract in mice involves regulation of glycerophospholipid metabolisms by UPLC/Q-TOF MS-based metabolomics study

LPCAT1 promotes melanoma cell proliferation via Akt signaling

Melanoma is the most lethal type of skin cancer with an increasing cutaneous cancer‑related mortality rate worldwide. Despite therapeutic advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the overall survival of patients with melanoma remains unsatisfactory. Thus, a further understanding of the pathogenesis of melanoma may aid towards the development of therapeutic strategies. Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) is a key enzyme that converts lysophosphatidylcholine into phosphatidylcholine in lipid remodeling. In the present study, LPCAT1 was found to play a pro‑proliferative role in melanoma. Firstly, the expression of LPCAT1 was found to be upregulated in tissues from patients with melanoma compared with that in benign nevi. Subsequently, LPCAT1 knockdown was performed, utilizing short hairpin RNA, which induced melanoma cell cycle arrest at the G1/S transition and promoted cell death. Moreover, LPCAT1 facilitated melanoma cell growth in an Akt‑dependent manner. In summary, the results of the present study indicate that targeting LPCAT1 may impede cell proliferation by inhibiting Akt signaling, thus providing a promising therapeutic strategy for melanoma in clinical practice.

Integration of Non-targeted Proteomics Mass Spectrometry with Machine Learning for Screening Cooked Beef Adulterated Samples

The degradation of ingredients in heat-processed meat products makes their authentication challenging. In this study, protein profiles of raw beef, chicken, duck, pork, and binary simulated adulterated beef samples (chicken-beef, duck-beef, and pork-beef) and their heat-processed samples were obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Heat-stable characteristic proteins were found by screening the overlapping characteristic protein ion peaks of the raw and corresponding heat-processed samples, which were discovered by partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Based on the 36 heat-stable characteristic proteins, qualitative classification for the raw and heat-processed meats was achieved by extreme gradient boosting. Moreover, quantitative analysis via partial least squares regression was applied to determine the adulteration ratio of the simulated adulterated beef samples. The validity of the approach was confirmed by a blind test with the mean accuracy of 97.4%. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of this method were determined to be 5 and 8%, respectively, showing its practical aspect for the beef authentication.

Protective effects of Forsythiae fructus and Cassiae semen water extract against memory deficits through the gut-microbiome-brain axis in an Alzheimer's disease model

CONTEXT

Fruits of Forsythia suspensa Vahl (Oleaceae) and seeds of Cassia obtusifolia Linne (Caesalpinaceae) have been used to treat inflammation in Asia.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the alleviation of memory function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats fed Forsythiae Fructus (FF) and Cassiae Semen water extracts (CS) and investigated the mechanisms responsible for the effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty Sprague-Dawley male rats had hippocampal infusions of amyloid-β_(25-35) (AD rats; memory deficit), and ten rats were infused with amyloid-β_(35-25) (non-AD rats; no memory deficit). For eight weeks, all rats freely consumed high-fat diets (43% lard) incorporated with 200 mg/kg body weight assigned aqueous herbal extracts: AD-FF, AD-CS, or without extracts AD-CON (control), non-AD (normal-control).

RESULTS

Memory impairment was prevented in the AD-FF (0.54 ± 0.06-fold) and the AD-CS rats (0.33 ± 0.04-fold) compared to the AD-CON by inhibiting amyloid-β deposition to the levels less than one-fourth of the AD-CON group. The hippocampal pAkt→pGSK-3β→pFOXO1 pathway was attenuated by approximately 3.25-fold in the AD-CON, while AD-FF prevented the attenuation better than AD-CS. The relative intensity of hippocampal tau protein based on β-actin was suppressed with AD-FF (0.68 ± 0.09) and AD-CS (0.96 ± 0.81), compared to AD-CON (1.19 ± 0.13). AD decreased the abundance of Bacteroidales by 34.2% and Lactobacillales by 23.8% and increased Clostridiales by 181% while the AD-FF, but not the AD-CS, normalised the gut microbiota changes to be similar to the non-AD.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

FF improved memory deficits better than CS in an AD-induced rat model. The potential neuroprotective benefits of FF against AD may be applicable to human AD therapy with additional clinical research.

A rapid increase in lysophospholipids after geranylgeranoic acid treatment in human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cells revealed by metabolomics analysis

Geranylgeranoic acid (GGA) was developed as a preventative agent against second primary hepatoma, and was reported to induce cell death in human hepatoma cells via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated pyroptosis. We recently reported that GGA is enzymatically biosynthesized from mevalonic acid in human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cells and that endogenous GGA is found in most rat organs including the liver. An unbiased metabolomics analysis of ice-cold 50% acetonitrile extracts from control and GGA-treated cells was performed in this study to characterize the intracellular metabolic changes in GGA-induced pyroptosis and to analyze their relationship with the mechanism of GGA-induced cell death. The total positive ion chromatograms of the cellular extracts in ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were apparently unchanged after GGA treatment, but an orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis score plot clearly discriminated the intracellular metabolite profiles of GGA-treated cells from that of control cells. S-plot analysis revealed 15 potential biomarkers up-regulated by 24-h GGA treatment according to their variable importance in the projection value of more than 1, and the subsequent metabolomics analysis identified nine of these metabolites as a group of lysophospholipids containing lysophosphatidylcholine with C16:0, C20:4, or C20:3 fatty acids. The possible roles of these lysophospholipids in GGA-induced pyroptosis are discussed.

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Metabolomics analysis was performed on geranylgeranoic acid (GGA)-treated cells.

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Total positive ion chromatograms were apparently similar after GGA treatment.

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The OPLS-DA score plot distinguished the GGA-treated cells from control cells.

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The S-plot analysis revealed GGA-induced upregulation of lysophospholipids.

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The possible roles of lysophospholipids in GGA-induced pyroptosis are discussed.

One extraction tool for in vitro-in vivo extrapolation? SPME-based metabolomics of in vitro 2D, 3D, and in vivo mouse melanoma models

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry was employed for the determination of metabolomic profile of mouse melanoma growth within in vitro 2D, in vitro 3D, and in vivo models. Such multi-model approach had never been investigated before. Due to the low-invasiveness of SPME, it was possible to perform time-course analysis, which allowed building time profile of biochemical reactions in the studied material. Such approach does not require the multiplication of samples as subsequent analyses are performed from the very same cell culture or from the same individual. SPME already reduces the number of animals required for experiment; therefore, it is with good concordance with the 3Rs rule (replacement, reduction, and refinement). Among tested models, the largest number of compounds was found within the in vitro 2D cell culture model, while in vivo and in vitro 3D models had the lowest number of detected compounds. These results may be connected with a higher metabolic rate, as well as lower integrity of the in vitro 2D model compared to the in vitro 3D model resulting in a lower number of compounds released into medium in the latter model. In terms of in vitro-in vivo extrapolation, the in vitro 2D model performed more similar to in vivo model compared to in vitro 3D model; however, it might have been due to the fact that only compounds secreted to medium were investigated. Thus, in further experiments to obtain full metabolome information, the intraspheroidal assessment or spheroid dissociation would be necessary.

Simultaneous silencing of lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferases 1-4 by nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) improves radiation response of melanoma cells

Radiation induces the generation of platelet-activating factor receptor (PAF-R) ligands, including PAF and oxidized phospholipids. Alternatively, PAF is also synthesized by the biosynthetic enzymes lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferases (LPCATs) which are expressed by tumor cells including melanoma. The activation of PAF-R by PAF and oxidized lipids triggers a survival response protecting tumor cells from radiation-induced cell death, suggesting the involvement of the PAF/PAF-R axis in radioresistance. Here, we investigated the role of LPCATs in the melanoma cell radiotherapy response. LPCAT is a family of four enzymes, LPCAT1-4, and modular nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) allowed for the simultaneous silencing of all four LPCATs. We found that the in vitro simultaneous silencing of all four LPCAT transcripts by NANPs enhanced the therapeutic effects of radiation in melanoma cells by increasing cell death, reducing long-term cell survival, and activating apoptosis. Thus, we propose that NANPs are an effective strategy for improving radiotherapy efficacy in melanomas.

Peucedanum ostruthium Inhibits E-Selectin and VCAM-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells through Interference with NF-κB Signaling

Twenty natural remedies traditionally used against different inflammatory diseases were probed for their potential to suppress the expression of the inflammatory markers E-selectin and VCAM-1 in a model system of IL-1 stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). One third of the tested extracts showed in vitro inhibitory effects comparable to the positive control oxozeaenol, an inhibitor of TAK1. Among them, the extract derived from the roots and rhizomes of Peucedanum ostruthium (i.e., Radix Imperatoriae), also known as masterwort, showed a pronounced and dose-dependent inhibitory effect. Reporter gene analysis demonstrated that inhibition takes place on the transcriptional level and involves the transcription factor NF-κB. A more detailed analysis revealed that the P. ostruthium extract (PO) affected the phosphorylation, degradation, and resynthesis of IκBα, the activation of IKKs, and the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB subunit RelA. Strikingly, early effects on this pathway were less affected as compared to later ones, suggesting that PO may act on mechanism(s) that are downstream of nuclear translocation. As the majority of cognate NF-κB inhibitors affect upstream events such as IKK2, these findings could indicate the existence of targetable signaling events at later stages of NF-κB activation.

UPLC-MS-based metabolomics reveals metabolic dysregulation in ALDH1A1-overexpressed lung adenocarcinoma cells

INTRODUCTION

Specific oncogenotypes can produce distinct metabolic changes in cancer. Recently it is considered that metabolic reprograming contributes heavily to drug resistance. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1), is overexpressed in drug resistant lung adenocarcinomas and may be the cause of acquired drug resistance. However, how ALDH1A1 affects metabolic profiling in lung adenocarcinoma cells remains elusive.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to investigate metabolic alterations induced by ALDH1A1 in lung adenocarcinoma in order to better understand the reprogramming and metabolic mechanism of resistance induced by ALDH1A1.

METHODS

Metabolic alterations in lung adenocarcinoma HCC827-ALDH1A1 cells were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). HCC827-ALDH1A1 metabolic signatures were extracted by univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Furthermore, metabolite enrichment analysis and pathway analysis were performed using MetaboAnalyst 4.0 software.

RESULTS

Twenty-two metabolites were positively identified using authentic standards, including uridine monophosphate (UMP), uridine diphosphate (UDP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), malic acid, malonyl-coenzyme A, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), coenzyme A and so on. Furthermore, metabolic pathway analysis revealed several dysregulated pathways in HCC827-ALDH1A1 cells, including nucleotide metabolism, urea cycle, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and glycerol phospholipid metabolism etc. CONCLUSION: Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Nearly all patients eventually undergo disease progression due to acquired resistance. Mechanisms of biological acquired resistance need to be identified. Our study identified altered metabolites in HCC827-ALDH1A1 cells, enhancing our knowledge of lung adenocarcinoma metabolic alterations induced by ALDH1A1, creating a novel therapeutic pathway. These metabolic signatures of ALDH1A1 overexpression may shed light on molecular mechanisms in drug-resistant tumors, and on candidate drug targets. Furthermore, new molecular targets may provide the foundation for potential anticancer strategies for lung cancer therapy.

Metabolic and lipidomic investigation of the antiproliferative effects of coronatine against human melanoma cells

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, with metastatic melanoma being refractory to currently available conventional therapies. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of coronatine (COR) on the proliferation of metastatic melanoma cells. COR inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells but negligibly affected the proliferation of normal melanocytes. Comparative metabolic and lipidomic profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and direct infusion-mass spectrometry was performed to investigate COR-induced metabolic changes. These analyses identified 33 metabolites and 82 lipids. Of these, the levels of lactic acid and glutamic acid, which are involved in energy metabolism, significantly decreased in COR-treated melanoma cells. Lipidomic profiling indicated that ceramide levels increased in COR-treated melanoma cells, suggesting that ceramides could function as a suppressor of cancer cell proliferation. In contrast, the levels of phosphatidylinositol (PI) species, including PI 16:0/18:0, 16:0/18:1, 18:0/18:0, and 18:0/18:1, which were found to be potential biomarkers of melanoma metastasis in our previous study, were lower in the COR-treated cells than in control cells. The findings of metabolomic and lipidomic profiling performed in the present study provide new insights on the anticancer mechanisms of COR and can be used to apply COR in cancer treatment.

Non-ionic detergent Triton X-114 Based vortex- synchronized matrix solid-phase dispersion method for the simultaneous determination of six compounds with various polarities from Forsythiae Fructus by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple nonionic detergent - based vortex- synchronized matrix solid-phase dispersion (ND-VSMSPD) method was developed to extract bioactive compounds in Forsythiae Fructus coupled with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Nonionic detergent Triton 114 was firstly used as a green elution reagent in vortex- synchronized MSPD procedure. The optimum parameters were investigated to attain the best results, including Florisil as sorbent, 2mL 10% (v/v) nonionic detergent Triton X-114 as the elution reagent, 1:1 of sample/sorbent ratio, grinding for 3min, and whirling for 2min. The recoveries of the six compounds in Forsythiae Fructus were in the range of 95-104% (RSD <4.6%) and the method displayed a good linearity within the range of 0.08-20μgmL^-1 for caffeic acid, 0.6-150μgmL^-1 for forsythoside A, 0.4-100μgmL^-1 phillyrin, 0.2-50μgmL^-1 for quercetin, isorhamnetin and arctigenin (r≥0.999). It was proved that the extraction yields of almost all compounds attained by the established vortex- synchronized MSPD, which required lower sample, reagent and time, were higher than the normal MSPD and the traditional ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Consequently, this developed vortex- synchronized MSPD coupled with simple UHPLC method could be efficiently applies to extract and analyze the target compounds in real Forsythiae Fructus samples.