Anticancer Effects of Combination of Indole-3-Carbinol and Hydroxychloroquine on Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma via Targeting Autophagy and Apoptosis

Enhancing Cardiomyocyte Resilience to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: The Therapeutic Potential of an Indole-Peptide-Tempo Conjugate (IPTC)

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury leads to apoptosis and extensive cellular and mitochondrial damage, triggered by the early generation and subsequent accumulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). This condition not only contributes to the pathology of I/R injury itself but is also implicated in a variety of other diseases, especially within the cardiovascular domain. Addressing mitochondrial oxidative stress thus emerges as a critical therapeutic target. In this context, our study introduces an indole-peptide-tempo conjugate (IPTC), a compound designed with dual functionalities: antioxidative properties and the ability to modulate autophagy. Our findings reveal that IPTC effectively shields H9C2 cardiomyocytes against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) damage, primarily through counteracting mtROS overproduction linked to impaired mitophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction. We propose that IPTC operates by simultaneously reducing mtROS levels and inducing mitophagy, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for mitigating mitochondrial oxidative damage and, by extension, easing I/R injury and potentially other related cardiovascular conditions.

Pharmacology Progresses and Applications of Chloroquine in Cancer Therapy

Chloroquine is a common antimalarial drug and is listed in the World Health Organization Standard List of Essential Medicines because of its safety, low cost and ease of use. Besides its antimalarial property, chloroquine also was used in anti-inflammatory and antivirus, especially in antitumor therapy. A mount of data showed that chloroquine mainly relied on autophagy inhibition to exert its antitumor effects. However, recently, more and more researches have revealed that chloroquine acts through other mechanisms that are autophagy-independent. Nevertheless, the current reviews lacked a comprehensive summary of the antitumor mechanism and combined pharmacotherapy of chloroquine. So here we focused on the antitumor properties of chloroquine, summarized the pharmacological mechanisms of antitumor progression of chloroquine dependent or independent of autophagy inhibition. Moreover, we also discussed the side effects and possible application developments of chloroquine. This review provided a more systematic and cutting-edge knowledge involved in the anti-tumor mechanisms and combined pharmacotherapy of chloroquine in hope of carrying out more in-depth exploration of chloroquine and obtaining more clinical applications.

Indole-3-carbinol mitigates oxidative stress and inhibits inflammation in rat cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model

Ischemia is a significant pathogenetic factor of stroke with very limited treatment options. The objective of our research was to evaluate the protective properties of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its effect on redox status parameters, inflammation, and apoptosis intensity in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rats. I3C administration to CIRI rats decreased levels of oxidative stress markers and improved aerobic metabolism compared to the animals with CIRI. A decrease in myeloperoxidase activity, proinflammatory cytokines mRNA levels, and expression of redox-sensitive factor Nuclear Factor-κB was observed in rats with CIRI that received I3C. I3C-treated rats with pathology showed decreased caspase activity and apoptosis-inducing factor expression, compared to the animals in the CIRI group. Obtained data indicate that I3C has a neuroprotective and anti-ischemic effect in CIRI that may be related to its antioxidant properties and ability to reduce the inflammatory response and apoptosis.

Indole-3-carbinol induces apoptosis in AGS cancer cells via mitochondrial pathway

Indole-3-carbinol is produced from the cruciferous vegetables and broadly investigated for their various biological effects in in-vitro and in-vivo aspects. However, the anticancer activity of I3C and its molecular mechanisms have not been investigated in human adeno gastro carcinoma (AGS) cells. In our study of AGS cells, nuclear condensation was observed by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, cell death was confirmed by a cell viability assay, and fragmented DNA was observed at the IC₅₀ dose by a DNA fragmentation assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by the qPCR technique. Treatment of the AGS cells with I3C at different concentrations has drastically decreased cell proliferation and differentiation. By releasing cytochrome-c from mitochondria in the intrinsic pathway, I3C prevents the multiplication of AGS cells and initiates apoptosis. The WST-1 assay result showed that I3C treatment against AGS cells had considerably reduced the viability of the cells. Furthermore, RT-qPCR showed the fold change among the expressed proteins compared with reference gene β-actin. Molecular docking revealed that I3C showed a strong binding affinity for the apoptotic protein 3DCY. The results show the caspase group of proteins contribute to the core of apoptotic machinery. I3C and its metabolites target a variety of components of cell-cycle control via distinct signaling pathways in light of the rapid development of tumors and oncogenesis. The translational significance of I3C and its metabolites in cancer is highlighted by their wide range of antitumor activity and low toxicity. Furthermore, the novel prodrug I3C, which has overlapping underlying mechanisms, could encourage new strategies to decrease oncogenesis.

Naturally derived indole alkaloids targeting regulated cell death (RCD) for cancer therapy: from molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic targets

Regulated cell death (RCD) is a critical and active process that is controlled by specific signal transduction pathways and can be regulated by genetic signals or drug interventions. Meanwhile, RCD is closely related to the occurrence and therapy of multiple human cancers. Generally, RCD subroutines are the key signals of tumorigenesis, which are contributed to our better understanding of cancer pathogenesis and therapeutics. Indole alkaloids derived from natural sources are well defined for their outstanding biological and pharmacological properties, like vincristine, vinblastine, staurosporine, indirubin, and 3,3′-diindolylmethane, which are currently used in the clinic or under clinical assessment. Moreover, such compounds play a significant role in discovering novel anticancer agents. Thus, here we systemically summarized recent advances in indole alkaloids as anticancer agents by targeting different RCD subroutines, including the classical apoptosis and autophagic cell death signaling pathways as well as the crucial signaling pathways of other RCD subroutines, such as ferroptosis, mitotic catastrophe, necroptosis, and anoikis, in cancer. Moreover, we further discussed the cross talk between different RCD subroutines mediated by indole alkaloids and the combined strategies of multiple agents (e.g., 3,10-dibromofascaplysin combined with olaparib) to exhibit therapeutic potential against various cancers by regulating RCD subroutines. In short, the information provided in this review on the regulation of cell death by indole alkaloids against different targets is expected to be beneficial for the design of novel molecules with greater targeting and biological properties, thereby facilitating the development of new strategies for cancer therapy.