Integrated in silico and experimental methods revealed that Arctigenin inhibited angiogenesis and HCT116 cell migration and invasion through regulating the H1F4A and Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Arctigenin: pharmacology, total synthesis, and progress in structure modification

Arctium lappa L. is a prevalent medicinal herb and a health supplement that is commonly used in Asia. Over the last few decades, the bioactive component arctigenin has attracted the attention of researchers because of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, multiple sclerosis fighting, antitumor, and anti-leukemia properties. After summarising the research and literature on arctigenin, this study outlines the current status of research on pharmacological activity, total synthesis, and structural modification of arctigenin. The purpose of this study is to assist academics in obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the research progress on arctigenin and to provide constructive suggestions for further investigation of this useful molecule.

Arctigenin inhibits prostate tumor growth in high-fat diet fed mice through dual actions on adipose tissue and tumor

This study investigated the inhibitory effect of arctigenin, a novel anti-inflammatory lignan, on prostate cancer in obese conditions both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro obese models were established by co-culture of mouse adipocytes 3T3-L1 with androgen-sensitive LNCaP human prostate cancer cells, or by culturing LNCaP cells in adipocytes-conditioned medium. Arctigenin significantly inhibited LNCaP proliferation, along with decreased androgen receptor (AR) and increased Nkx3.1 cellular expression. Male severe combined immunodeficiency mice were subcutaneously implanted with human prostate cancer LAPC-4 xenograft tumors for in vivo study. Mice were fed high-fat (HF) diet and orally given arctigenin at 50 mg/kg body weight daily or vehicle control for 6 weeks. Tumor bearing HF control mice showed a significant increase in serum free fatty acids (FFAs) and decrease in subcutaneous/peritoneal fat depots compared to non-tumor bearing control mice. Arctigenin intervention significantly reduced tumor growth by 45%, associated with decreased circulating FFAs and adipokines/cytokines including IGF-1, VEGF, and MCP-1, along with decreased AR, Ki67, and microvessel density and increased Nkx3.1 expression in tumors. These results indicate the strong ability of arctigenin to co-target obesity and tumor itself in inhibition of prostate tumor growth at a lower concentration compared to most phytochemicals.

Arctigenin Attenuates Tumor Metastasis Through Inhibiting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Suppressing GSK3β-Dependent Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway In Vivo and In Vitro

Arctigenin (ARG) has been reported to be a bioactive lignan from Arctium lappa exerting various activities including anti-cancer and immune-regulation. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-metastasis activity and mechanism of ARG against hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that ARG exhibited a significant cytotoxicity on Hep G2 and SMMC 7721 cells (but not on normal liver cells LO2). In addition, the migration and invasion of Hep G2 and SMMC 7721 cells were also remarkably repressed. Furthermore, ARG attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation, resulting in the down-regulation of β-catenin target genes including c-Myc, cyclin D1, MMP-9, and ZO-1. Noticeably, ARG attenuated the activation of Wnt/β-catenin through a GSK3β-dependent pathway. Besides, we also found that ARG potentially inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition by up-regulating the epithelial and down-regulating the mesenchymal marker proteins. In vivo, intraperitoneal injection of ARG not only significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous transplanted tumor but also dramatically alleviated the tumor metastasis in liver. Our data demonstrated that ARG exerted anti-epithelial-mesenchymal transition and anti-metastasis activities against hepatocellular carcinoma, which might make it a candidate as a preventive agent for cancer metastasis.

The antitumor function of arctigenin in human retinoblastoma cells is mediated by jagged‑1

Retinoblastoma is an intraocular malignant tumor that may severely affect vision and represents a life‑threatening disease in children. Arctigenin (ATG) is an active compound that exhibits numerous pharmacological activities, which is isolated from the seeds of greater burdock (Arctium lappa Linnaeus), a plant used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ATG on cancer progression by analyzing the retinoblastoma cell line Y79. ATG exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on the viability of Y79 cells in a dose‑dependent manner. Furthermore, treatment with ATG promoted apoptosis, and increased the protein expression levels of B‑cell lymphoma 2 (BCL‑2)‑associated X protein and decreased the protein expression levels of BCL‑2. Cell migration was suppressed following treatment with ATG, as assessed by Transwell migration assay. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of jagged‑1 (JAG1) were decreased, and various factors involved in the Notch signaling pathway, including the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), transcription factor HES (HES)5 and HES1 were downregulated following treatment with ATG. The decreased expression levels of JAG1 were restored in response to JAG1 overexpression, alongside increases in the protein expression levels of NICD, HES5 and HES1. Furthermore, overexpression of JAG1 partly restored the cell viability and migration suppressed following treatment with ATG. In addition, ATG‑induced apoptosis was reduced by JAG1 overexpression. Collectively, the present results suggested that ATG may serve as an antitumor compound by suppressing the proliferation and migration of retinoblastoma cells, inducing apoptosis, downregulating the protein expression levels of JAG1, and decreasing the activity of the Notch signaling pathway.