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Grudzińska M, Stachnik B, Galanty A, Sołtys A, Podolak I. Progress in Antimelanoma Research of Natural Triterpenoids and Their Derivatives: Mechanisms of Action, Bioavailability Enhancement and Structure Modifications. Molecules 2023; 28:7763. [PMID: 38067491 PMCID: PMC10707933 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer, characterized by early metastasis and rapid development. In search for effective treatment options, much attention is given to triterpenoids of plant origin, which are considered promising drug candidates due to their well described anticancer properties and relatively low toxicity. This paper comprehensively summarizes the antimelanoma potential of natural triterpenoids, that are also used as scaffolds for the development of more effective derivatives. These include betulin, betulinic acid, ursolic acid, maslinic acid, oleanolic acid, celastrol and lupeol. Some lesser-known triterpenoids that deserve attention in this context are 22β-hydroxytingenone, cucurbitacins, geoditin A and ganoderic acids. Recently described mechanisms of action are presented, together with the results of preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as the use of drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical technologies to improve the bioavailability of triterpenoids. This paper also reviews the most promising structural modifications, based on structure-activity observations. In conclusion, triterpenoids of plant origin and some of their semi-synthetic derivatives exert significant cytotoxic, antiproliferative and chemopreventive effects that can be beneficial for melanoma treatment. Recent data indicate that their poor solubility in water, and thus low bioavailability, can be overcome by complexing with cyclodextrins, or the use of nanoparticles and ethosomes, thus making these compounds promising antimelanoma drug candidates for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Grudzińska
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (M.G.); (B.S.); (A.S.); (I.P.)
- Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
- Doctoral School of Medical and Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Łazarza 16, 31-530 Kraków, Poland
| | - Bogna Stachnik
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (M.G.); (B.S.); (A.S.); (I.P.)
| | - Agnieszka Galanty
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (M.G.); (B.S.); (A.S.); (I.P.)
| | - Agnieszka Sołtys
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (M.G.); (B.S.); (A.S.); (I.P.)
| | - Irma Podolak
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (M.G.); (B.S.); (A.S.); (I.P.)
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Bhuia MS, Chowdhury R, Sonia FA, Kamli H, Shaikh A, El-Nashar HAS, El-Shazly M, Islam MT. Anticancer Potential of the Plant-Derived Saponin Gracillin: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanistic Approaches. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300847. [PMID: 37547969 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing prevalence of cancer and the toxic side effects of synthetic drugs, natural products are being developed as promising therapeutic approaches. Gracillin is a naturally occurring triterpenoid steroidal saponin with several therapeutic activities. It is obtained as a major compound from different Dioscorea species. This review was designated to summarize the research progress on the anti-cancer activities of gracillin focusing on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, as well as its pharmacokinetic features. The data were collected (up to date as of May 1, 2023) from various reliable and authentic literatures comprising PubMed, Springer Link, Scopus, Wiley Online, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The findings demonstrated that gracillin displays promising anticancer effects through various molecular mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory effects, apoptotic cell death, induction of oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, induction of genotoxicity, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferative effect, autophagy, inhibition of glycolysis, and blocking of cancer cell migration. Additionally, this review highlighted the pharmacokinetic features of gracillin, indicating its lower oral bioavailability. As a conclusion, it can be proposed that gracillin could serve as a hopeful chemotherapeutic agent. However, further extensive clinical research is recommended to establish its safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shimul Bhuia
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh
| | - Raihan Chowdhury
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh
| | - Fatema Akter Sonia
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh
| | - Hossam Kamli
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Shaikh
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba A S El-Nashar
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Shazly
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Muhammad Torequl Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh
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3
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Nistor M, Rugina D, Diaconeasa Z, Socaciu C, Socaciu MA. Pentacyclic Triterpenoid Phytochemicals with Anticancer Activity: Updated Studies on Mechanisms and Targeted Delivery. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12923. [PMID: 37629103 PMCID: PMC10455110 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pentacyclic triterpenoids (TTs) represent a unique family of phytochemicals with interesting properties and pharmacological effects, with some representatives, such as betulinic acid (BA) and betulin (B), being mainly investigated as potential anticancer molecules. Considering the recent scientific and preclinical investigations, a review of their anticancer mechanisms, structure-related activity, and efficiency improved by their insertion in nanolipid vehicles for targeted delivery is presented. A systematic literature study about their effects on tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, as free molecules or encapsulated in liposomes or nanolipids, is discussed. A special approach is given to liposome-TTs and nanolipid-TTs complexes to be linked to microbubbles, known as contrast agents in ultrasonography. The production of such supramolecular conjugates to deliver the drugs to target cells via sonoporation represents a new scientific and applicative direction to improve TT efficiency, considering that they have limited availability as lipophilic molecules. Relevant and recent examples of in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as the challenges for the next steps towards the application of these complex delivery systems to tumor cells, are discussed, as are the challenges for the next steps towards the application of targeted delivery to tumor cells, opening new directions for innovative nanotechnological solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madalina Nistor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.N.); (D.R.); (Z.D.)
- Department of Biotechnology, BIODIATECH—Research Centre for Applied Biotechnology in Diagnosis and Molecular Therapy, 400478 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dumitrita Rugina
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.N.); (D.R.); (Z.D.)
- Department of Biotechnology, BIODIATECH—Research Centre for Applied Biotechnology in Diagnosis and Molecular Therapy, 400478 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Zorita Diaconeasa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.N.); (D.R.); (Z.D.)
- Department of Biotechnology, BIODIATECH—Research Centre for Applied Biotechnology in Diagnosis and Molecular Therapy, 400478 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Carmen Socaciu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.N.); (D.R.); (Z.D.)
- Department of Biotechnology, BIODIATECH—Research Centre for Applied Biotechnology in Diagnosis and Molecular Therapy, 400478 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mihai Adrian Socaciu
- Department of Biotechnology, BIODIATECH—Research Centre for Applied Biotechnology in Diagnosis and Molecular Therapy, 400478 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Radiology, Imaging & Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Saikia D, Kesavan R, Stephen Inbaraj B, Dikkala PK, Nayak PK, Sridhar K. Bioactive Compounds and Health-Promoting Properties of Elephant Apple ( Dillenia indica L.): A Comprehensive Review. Foods 2023; 12:2993. [PMID: 37627992 PMCID: PMC10453057 DOI: 10.3390/foods12162993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Elephant apple (Dillenia indica L.) grows wild in Southeast Asia's forests, including in China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Elephant apples are considered essential fruit crops because of their high nutritional value, which includes high levels of vitamin C, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, protein, minerals, and fatty acids. It is important to understand the nutritional value and health benefits of elephant apples in order to increase fruit intake in people's daily diets. The present review paper focuses on elephant apple's phytochemistry, bioactive compounds, therapeutic value, and medicinal capabilities for designing and developing a wide range of food formulations. Proteins, minerals, fats, crude fibre, carbohydrates, vitamin C, tannins, malic acid, and glucose are abundant in the leaves, bark, and fruit of the elephant apple. In addition to nutritional components, many phytochemicals found in elephant apples have been identified as bioactive compounds with a broad range of biological activities, the most prominent of which are antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Overall, elephant apple is a rich, natural source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in the production of value-added foods and nutraceuticals for disease prevention and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanka Saikia
- Department of Agricultural Engineering, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi 761211, Odisha, India
- Department of Food Engineering & Technology, Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar, Kokrajhar 783370, Assam, India
| | - Radhakrishnan Kesavan
- Department of Food Engineering & Technology, Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar, Kokrajhar 783370, Assam, India
| | | | - Praveen Kumar Dikkala
- School of Food Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada, Kakinada 533003, Andhra Pradesh, India;
| | - Prakash Kumar Nayak
- Department of Food Engineering & Technology, Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar, Kokrajhar 783370, Assam, India
| | - Kandi Sridhar
- Department of Food Technology, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Coimbatore 641021, Tamil Nadu, India
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5
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Min JY, Kim DH. Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 as a Therapeutic Biomarker: Focusing on Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108951. [PMID: 37240297 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The dysregulation of lipid metabolism and alterations in the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) to saturated fatty acids (SFAs) have been implicated in cancer progression and stemness. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), an enzyme involved in lipid desaturation, is crucial in regulating this ratio and has been identified as an important regulator of cancer cell survival and progression. SCD1 converts SFAs into MUFAs and is important for maintaining membrane fluidity, cellular signaling, and gene expression. Many malignancies, including cancer stem cells, have been reported to exhibit high expression of SCD1. Therefore, targeting SCD1 may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. In addition, the involvement of SCD1 in cancer stem cells has been observed in various types of cancer. Some natural products have the potential to inhibit SCD1 expression/activity, thereby suppressing cancer cell survival and self-renewal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Young Min
- Department of Chemistry, College of Convergence and Integrated Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Do-Hee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Convergence and Integrated Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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Spivak AY, Davletshin EV, Gubaidullin RR, Tukhbatullin AA, Nedopekina DA. Synthesis of Bodipy-Labeled Fluorescent Betulinic Acid Derivatives with a Terminal Triphenylphosphonium Group on Side-Chain C-28. Chem Nat Compd 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10600-022-03869-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Santos WBDR, Guimarães JO, Pina LTS, Serafini MR, Guimarães AG. Antinociceptive effect of plant-based natural products in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathies: A systematic review. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1001276. [PMID: 36199686 PMCID: PMC9527321 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1001276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most prevalent and difficult-to-treat symptoms in cancer patients. For this reason, the explore for unused helpful choices able of filling these impediments is essential. Natural products from plants stand out as a valuable source of therapeutic agents, being options for the treatment of this growing public health problem. Therefore, the objective of this study was to report the effects of natural products from plants and the mechanisms of action involved in the reduction of neuropathy caused by chemotherapy. The search was performed in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science in March/2021. Two reviewers independently selected the articles and extracted data on characteristics, methods, study results and methodological quality (SYRCLE). Twenty-two studies were selected, describing the potential effect of 22 different phytochemicals in the treatment of CIPN, with emphasis on terpenes, flavonoids and alkaloids. The effect of these compounds was demonstrated in different experimental protocols, with several action targets being proposed, such as modulation of inflammatory mediators and reduction of oxidative stress. The studies demonstrated a predominance of the risk of uncertain bias for randomization, baseline characteristics and concealment of the experimental groups. Our findings suggest a potential antinociceptive effect of natural products from plants on CIPN, probably acting in several places of action, being strategic for the development of new therapeutic options for this multifactorial condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wagner Barbosa Da Rocha Santos
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Juliana Oliveira Guimarães
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | | | - Mairim Russo Serafini
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Adriana Gibara Guimarães
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Adriana Gibara Guimarães,
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Magalhães TBDS, Silva DKC, Teixeira JDS, De Lima JDT, Barbosa-Filho JM, Moreira DRM, Guimarães ET, Soares MBP. A Betulinic Acid Derivative, BA5, Induces G0/G1 Cell Arrest, Apoptosis Like-Death, and Morphological Alterations in Leishmania sp. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:846123. [PMID: 35392556 PMCID: PMC8981292 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.846123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis are endemic diseases caused by different species of intracellular parasites of the genus Leishmania. Due to the high toxicity and drug resistance of current antileishmanial drugs, it is necessary to identify new and more effective drugs. Previously, we investigated the immunomodulatory and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi action of BA5, a derivative of betulinic acid. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro activity of BA5 against different species of Leishmania and their action mechanism. BA5 exhibited low cytotoxicity against macrophages and inhibited the proliferation of promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis (IC50 = 4.5 ± 1.1 μM), Leishmania major (IC50 = 3.0 ± 0.8 μM), Leishmania braziliensis (IC50 = 0.9 ± 1.1 μM) and Leishmania infantum (IC50 = 0.15 ± 0.05 μM). Incubation with BA5 reduced the percentage of Leishmania amazonensis-infected macrophages and the number of intracellular parasites (IC50 = 4.1 ± 0.7 μM). To understand the mechanism of action underlying BA5 antileishmanial activity (incubation at IC50/2, IC50 or 2xIC50 values of the drug), we investigated ultrastructural changes by scanning electron microscopy and evaluated cell cycle, membrane mitochondrial potential, and cell death against promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis by flow cytometry. Promastigotes incubated with BA5 presented membrane blebbing, flagella damage, increased size, and body deformation. Flow cytometry analysis showed that parasite death is mainly caused by apoptosis-like death, arrested cell cycle in G0/G1 phase and did not alter the membrane mitochondrial potential of Leishmania amazonensis. Surprisingly, the combination of BA5 and amphotericin B, an assay used to determine the degree of drug interaction, revealed synergistic effects (CI = 0.15 ± 0.09) on promastigotes forms of Leishmania amazonensis. In conclusion, BA5 compound is an effective and selective antileishmanial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Barbosa Dos Santos Magalhães
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Dahara Keyse Carvalho Silva
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Jessica da Silva Teixeira
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Juliana Dizaira Teles De Lima
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Diogo Rodrigo Magalhães Moreira
- Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Elisalva Teixeira Guimarães
- Laboratório de Histotécnica e Cultura Celular, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Brazil.,Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
- Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, Brazil.,Instituto Senai de Inovação Em Sistemas Avançados Em Saúde, SENAI/CIMATEC, Salvador, Brazil
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Wang G, Yang Y, Yi D, Yuan L, Yin PH, Ke X, Jun-Jie W, Tao MF. Eudragit S100 prepared pH-responsive liposomes-loaded betulinic acid against colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. J Liposome Res 2021; 32:250-264. [PMID: 34895013 DOI: 10.1080/08982104.2021.1999974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop polymer Eudragit S100 for preparing pH-responsive liposomes-loaded betulinic acid (pH-BA-LP) to improve the therapeutic index of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. BA-loaded liposomes were coated with Eudragit S100 by a thin film dispersion and easily scalable pH-driven method. The prepared liposomes were evaluated for size, surface morphology, entrapment efficiency, stability, in vitro drug release, and antitumor activity. In particular, pH-BA-LP showed advantages such as lower size (<100 nm), encapsulation efficiency of 90%, high stability, and stably cumulative release. By detecting the antitumor effects of pH-BA-LP in vivo, it showed that the tumor proliferation and cell migration were significantly inhibited in colorectal cancer. The pH-BA-LP also inhibited tumor growth via the regulation of Akt/TLR-mediated signalling and significantly down-regulated the expression of NFAT1 and NFAT4 proteins. It was found that pH-BA-LP can increase NK cells and CD3+ cells in tumor tissues, and the proportion of CD8+ cells in CD3+ cells was also increased, which proved that pH-BA-LP can play an antitumor effect by enhancing the autoimmunity level in tumor-bearing mice. The positive infiltration rates of CD8 and CD68 were increased and CD163 was relatively decreased by using pH-BA-LP, which proved that pH-BA-LP can regulate the immune infiltration levels in tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, the present work provides an effective method to prepare pH-responsive polymer-coated liposomes for colonic delivery with biologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Jiangsu University School of Pharmacy, Zhenjiang City, China
| | - Du Yi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Yuan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei-Hao Yin
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Ke
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wang Jun-Jie
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min-Fang Tao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai, China
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10
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Tuli HS, Sak K, Gupta DS, Kaur G, Aggarwal D, Chaturvedi Parashar N, Choudhary R, Yerer MB, Kaur J, Kumar M, Garg VK, Sethi G. Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Properties of Birch Bark-Derived Betulin: Recent Developments. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10122663. [PMID: 34961132 PMCID: PMC8705846 DOI: 10.3390/plants10122663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Birch tree bark-derived betulin has attracted scientific interest already for several centuries, being one of the first natural products identified from plants. However, the cellular events regulated by betulin and precise molecular mechanisms under these processes have been begun to be understood only recently. Today, we know that betulin can exert important anticancer activities through modulation of diverse cellular pathways. In this review article, betulin-regulated molecular signaling is unraveled and presented with a special focus on its participation in anti-inflammatory processes, especially by modulating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), prostaglandin/COX, and nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated cascades. By regulating these diverse pathways, betulin can not only affect the development and progression of different cancers, but also enhance the antitumor action of traditional therapeutic modalities. It is expected that by overcoming the low bioavailability of betulin by encapsulating it into nanocarriers, this promising natural compound may provide novel possibilities for targeting inflammation-related cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, Haryana, India; (D.A.); (N.C.P.); (R.C.)
- Correspondence: (H.S.T.); (G.S.)
| | | | - Dhruv Sanjay Gupta
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, SVKM’s NMIMS, Mumbai 40056, Maharashtra, India; (D.S.G.); (G.K.)
| | - Ginpreet Kaur
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, SVKM’s NMIMS, Mumbai 40056, Maharashtra, India; (D.S.G.); (G.K.)
| | - Diwakar Aggarwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, Haryana, India; (D.A.); (N.C.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Nidarshana Chaturvedi Parashar
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, Haryana, India; (D.A.); (N.C.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Renuka Choudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, Haryana, India; (D.A.); (N.C.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Mukerrem Betul Yerer
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38039, Turkey;
| | - Jagjit Kaur
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Nanoscale Biophotonics (CNBP), Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia;
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur 134007, Haryana, India;
| | - Vivek Kumar Garg
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, University Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, Punjab, India;
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore
- Correspondence: (H.S.T.); (G.S.)
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Alsayari A, Wahab S. Genus Ziziphus for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:6897-6914. [PMID: 34866990 PMCID: PMC8626254 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.07.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products and traditional medicine are rich sources for developing therapeutics for chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the way from natural products/traditional medicines to Western pharmaceutical practices is not always straightforward. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases are the greatest threat to human health. 3 of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory disorders worldwide like chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to reduce inflammation and pain, but there are many side effects of these drugs' administration. Medicinal plants have therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects with low or no side effects. Ziziphus plant species are generally safe and not toxic to humans. Many studies on the Ziziphus species have shown that their therapeutic properties are attributed to the roots, leaves and fruits. Unfortunately, Ziziphus species from different regions worldwide with anti-inflammatory properties have not been documented in a single review paper. Therefore, it is crucial to establish ethnobotanical knowledge and applications of Ziziphus species against chronic inflammatory diseases. The current article exhaustively reviews phytochemical profile, pharmacological studies, toxicological effects, and ethnobotanical uses of Genus Ziziphus in chronic anti-inflammatory diseases. The present review article also highlights the most promising experimental data on Ziziphus extracts and pure compounds active in clinical trials and animal models of chronic inflammatory diseases. This review would be a valuable resource for contemporary researchers in the field to understand the promising role of the Ziziphus genus in chronic inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrhman Alsayari
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shadma Wahab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
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12
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Zhao Y, Shi X, Wang J, Mang J, Xu Z. Betulinic Acid Ameliorates Cerebral Injury in Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Rats through Regulating Autophagy. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:2829-2837. [PMID: 34296845 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) is an acute cerebrovascular disease that is caused by the sudden rupture of blood vessels inside the brain and the intervention of reperfusion to the brain, resulting in severe cerebral injury. Autophagy has been reported to be involved in the occurrence and progression of CIS. Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpene acid mainly extracted from birch bark. Studies have shown the neuroprotective effects of BA. Here, the effect and mechanism of BA on ischemia-reperfusion induced cerebral injury was explored using a CIS model in vivo via 1 h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 24 h reperfusion in rats and in vitro via oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) of PC12 cells, respectively. We found that BA not only reduced cerebral injury by reducing oxidative stress but also activated the SIRT1/FoxO1 pathway to suppress autophagy and improve cerebral injury in MCAO rats. These results provide a basis for the potential clinical application of BA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuelin Zhao
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohua Shi
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P.R. China
| | - Jiaoqi Wang
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P.R. China
| | - Jing Mang
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P.R. China
| | - Zhongxin Xu
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P.R. China
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13
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Tang L, Lv SJ, Wu Z, Qian M, Xu Y, Gao X, Wang T, Guo W, Hou T, Li X, Li Z, Zhao J, Xiao J, Wei H. Role of betulinic acid derivative SH-479 in triple negative breast cancer and bone microenvironment. Oncol Lett 2021; 22:605. [PMID: 34188707 PMCID: PMC8227548 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has a high prevalence in the general population and is often associated with bone metastasis. Specific therapeutic targets are missing for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which presents some immunogenic characteristics. Betulinic acid (BA) has been reported to have some anti-tumor properties, and its modified derivative SH-479 was demonstrated to inhibit TNBC bone metastasis. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the BA derivative SH-479 on breast cancer and bone microenvironment. The effect of BA and its derivative SH-479 on MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation was determined with the MTS method. The cytotoxicity effect of SH-479 was evaluated using the Live and Dead assay. Cell microfilament changes were observed by F-actin staining. The effects of SH-479 on PARP protein expression and cell cycle were detected by western blotting and flow cytometry, respectively. The migratory ability of breast cancer cells treated with SH-479 was determined by migration assay. The effect of SH-479 on osteoclast differentiation induced by breast cancer cells was observed using the osteoclast differentiation assay and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining. The effects of SH-479 on T lymphocytes and bone marrow-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in bone marrow from mice were observed by flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that SH-479 significantly inhibited the proliferation of the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 at lower concentrations but had no significant effect on normal cells and other types of breast cancer cells for the same concentration. Furthermore, SH-479 significantly interfered with actin microfilaments in breast cancer cells but had no effect on cell apoptosis and cell cycle. In addition, SH-479 inhibited the migratory ability of breast cancer cells and the differentiation of osteoclasts induced by breast cancer cells. In bone marrow immune microenvironment, addition of SH-479 could promote the proliferation of CD4+T lymphocytes and inhibit the proliferation of MDSCs. Taken together, the findings from this study demonstrated that SH-479 inhibited the activity and migratory ability of TNBC cells and the differentiation of osteoclasts induced by TNBC and affected the bone marrow immune microenvironment. SH-479 may therefore inhibit breast cancer metastasis to bones, indicating that SH-479 may be considered as a promising drug to inhibit bone metastasis in patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Tang
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Shu Jun Lv
- Department of Orthopedics, Hai'an People's Hospital, Jiangsu, Hai'an 226600, P.R. China
| | - Zhipeng Wu
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Ming Qian
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Yuduo Xu
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Xin Gao
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Tao Wang
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Wen Guo
- Department of Orthopedics, Taizhou People's Hospital, Jiangsu, Taizhou 225300, P.R. China
| | - Tianhui Hou
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Xiu Li
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Zhenxi Li
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Jianru Xiao
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
| | - Haifeng Wei
- Spine Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China
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14
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Dubinin MV, Semenova AA, Ilzorkina AI, Penkov NV, Nedopekina DA, Sharapov VA, Khoroshavina EI, Davletshin EV, Belosludtseva NV, Spivak AY, Belosludtsev KN. Mitochondria-targeted prooxidant effects of betulinic acid conjugated with delocalized lipophilic cation F16. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 168:55-69. [PMID: 33812008 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The paper examines the molecular mechanisms of the cytotoxicity of conjugates of betulinic acid with the penetrating cation F16. The in vitro experiments on rat thymocytes revealed that all the obtained F16-betulinic acid derivatives showed more than 10-fold higher cytotoxicity as compared to betulinic acid and F16. In this case, 0.5-1 μM of all conjugates showed mitochondria-targeted action, inducing superoxide overproduction and reducing the mitochondrial potential of cells. Experiments on isolated rat liver mitochondria revealed the ability of conjugates to dose-dependently reduce the membrane potential of organelles, as well as the intensity of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, which is also accompanied by an increase in the production of hydrogen peroxide by mitochondria. It was shown that these actions of derivatives may be due to several effects: the reversion of ATP synthase, changes in the activity of complexes of the respiratory chain and permeabilization of the inner mitochondrial membrane. All compounds also demonstrated the ability to induce aggregation of isolated rat liver mitochondria. Using the model of lecithin liposomes, we found that the F6 conjugate (2 μM) induces the permeability of vesicle membranes for the fluorescent probe sulforhodamine B. High concentrations (25 μM) of the F6 derivative have been found to induce dynamic processes in the liposome membrane leading to aggregation and/or fusion of vesicle membranes. The paper discusses the relationship between the mitochondria-targeted effects of F16-betulinic acid conjugates and their cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Dubinin
- Mari State University, Pl. Lenina 1, Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El, 424001, Russia.
| | - Alena A Semenova
- Mari State University, Pl. Lenina 1, Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El, 424001, Russia
| | - Anna I Ilzorkina
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Nikita V Penkov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, PSCBR RAS, Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Darya A Nedopekina
- Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 141, Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, 450075, Russia
| | | | | | - Eldar V Davletshin
- Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 141, Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, 450075, Russia
| | - Natalia V Belosludtseva
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Anna Yu Spivak
- Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 141, Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, 450075, Russia
| | - Konstantin N Belosludtsev
- Mari State University, Pl. Lenina 1, Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El, 424001, Russia; Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia; Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 38, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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15
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Dubinin MV, Semenova AA, Nedopekina DA, Davletshin EV, Spivak AY, Belosludtsev KN. Effect of F16-Betulin Conjugate on Mitochondrial Membranes and Its Role in Cell Death Initiation. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11050352. [PMID: 34068772 PMCID: PMC8151401 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11050352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This work demonstrates the effects of a newly synthesized conjugate of the plant triterpenoid betulin and the penetrating cation F16 used for mitochondrial targeting. The resulting F16-betulin conjugate revealed a mitochondria-targeted effect, decreasing the mitochondrial potential and inducing superoxide overproduction in rat thymocytes in vitro. It has been suggested that this may cause the cytotoxic effect of the conjugate, which significantly exceeds the effectiveness of its precursors, betulin and F16. Using isolated rat liver mitochondria, we found that the F16-betulin conjugate has a surface-active effect on mitochondrial membranes, causing organelle aggregation. This effect of the derivative resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential, as well as suppression of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, especially in the case of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-fueled organelles. In addition, the F16-betulin conjugate caused an increase in H2O2 generation by mitochondria fueled with glutamate and malate. These effects of the derivative can presumably be due to the powerful suppression of the redox activity of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The paper discusses how the mitochondria-targeted effects of the F16-betulin conjugate may be related to its cytotoxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V. Dubinin
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology, Mari State University, pl. Lenina 1, 424001 Yoshkar-Ola, Russia; (A.A.S.); (K.N.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-987-701-0437
| | - Alena A. Semenova
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology, Mari State University, pl. Lenina 1, 424001 Yoshkar-Ola, Russia; (A.A.S.); (K.N.B.)
| | - Darya A. Nedopekina
- Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 141, 450075 Ufa, Russia; (D.A.N.); (E.V.D.); (A.Y.S.)
| | - Eldar V. Davletshin
- Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 141, 450075 Ufa, Russia; (D.A.N.); (E.V.D.); (A.Y.S.)
| | - Anna Yu. Spivak
- Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 141, 450075 Ufa, Russia; (D.A.N.); (E.V.D.); (A.Y.S.)
| | - Konstantin N. Belosludtsev
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology, Mari State University, pl. Lenina 1, 424001 Yoshkar-Ola, Russia; (A.A.S.); (K.N.B.)
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 3, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 38, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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16
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Park C, Jeong JW, Han MH, Lee H, Kim GY, Jin S, Park JH, Kwon HJ, Kim BW, Choi YH. The anti-cancer effect of betulinic acid in u937 human leukemia cells is mediated through ROS-dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Anim Cells Syst (Seoul) 2021; 25:119-127. [PMID: 34234893 PMCID: PMC8118407 DOI: 10.1080/19768354.2021.1915380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have shown anti-cancer activity of betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid, against various cancer lines, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the mechanisms involved in the anti-cancer efficacy of BA in U937 human myeloid leukemia cells. BA exerted a significant cytotoxic effect on U937 cells through blocking cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and inducing apoptosis, and that the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased after treatment with BA. The down-regulation of cyclin A and cyclin B1, and up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 revealed the G2/M phase arrest mechanism of BA. In addition, BA induced the cytosolic release of cytochrome c by reducing the mitochondrial membrane potential with an increasing Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio. BA also increased the activity of caspase-9 and -3, and subsequent degradation of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. However, quenching of ROS by N-acetyl-cysteine, an ROS scavenger, markedly abolished BA-induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis, indicating that the generation of ROS plays a key role in inhibiting the proliferation of U937 cells by BA treatment. Taken together, our results provide a mechanistic rationale that BA exhibits anti-cancer properties in U937 leukemia cells through ROS-dependent induction of cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheol Park
- College of Liberal Studies, Dong-Eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Jeong
- Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Ho Han
- National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyesook Lee
- Anti-Aging Research Center, Dong-eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biochemistry, Dong-eui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Young Kim
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Soojung Jin
- Core-Facility Center for Tissue Regeneration, Dong Eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Ha Park
- Core-Facility Center for Tissue Regeneration, Dong Eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Biopharmaceutical Engineering Major, Dong-eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Ju Kwon
- Core-Facility Center for Tissue Regeneration, Dong Eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Biopharmaceutical Engineering Major, Dong-eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Woo Kim
- Biopharmaceutical Engineering Major, Dong-eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Anti-Aging Research Center, Dong-eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biochemistry, Dong-eui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Core-Facility Center for Tissue Regeneration, Dong Eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea
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17
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Betulinic Acid Restricts Human Bladder Cancer Cell Proliferation In Vitro by Inducing Caspase-Dependent Cell Death and Cell Cycle Arrest, and Decreasing Metastatic Potential. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051381. [PMID: 33806566 PMCID: PMC7961550 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid and generally found in the bark of birch trees (Betula sp.). Although several studies have been reported that BA has diverse biological activities, including anti-tumor effects, the underlying anti-cancer mechanism in bladder cancer cells is still lacking. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the anti-proliferative effect of BA in human bladder cancer cell lines T-24, UMUC-3, and 5637, and identify the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that BA induced cell death in bladder cancer cells and that are accompanied by apoptosis, necrosis, and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, BA decreased the expression of cell cycle regulators, such as cyclin B1, cyclin A, cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) 2, cell division cycle (Cdc) 2, and Cdc25c. In addition, BA-induced apoptosis was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction that is caused by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, which led to the activation of mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway. BA up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2-accociated X protein (Bax) and cleaved poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), and subsequently activated caspase-3, -8, and -9. However, pre-treatment of pan-caspase inhibitor markedly suppressed BA-induced apoptosis. Meanwhile, BA did not affect the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), indicating BA-mediated apoptosis was ROS-independent. Furthermore, we found that BA suppressed the wound healing and invasion ability, and decreased the expression of Snail and Slug in T24 and 5637 cells, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in UMUC-3 cells. Taken together, this is the first study showing that BA suppresses the proliferation of human bladder cancer cells, which is due to induction of apoptosis, necrosis, and cell cycle arrest, and decrease of migration and invasion. Furthermore, BA-induced apoptosis is regulated by caspase-dependent and ROS-independent pathways, and these results provide the underlying anti-proliferative molecular mechanism of BA in human bladder cancer cells.
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Wu C, Shu G, Huang H, Pang K, Yang X, Yang G. Methylgerambullin derived from plant Glyccsmis pentaphylla (Retz) correa. Mediates anti-hepatocellular carcinoma cancer effect by activating mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling and inhibiting AKT and STAT3 pathways. Food Chem Toxicol 2021; 149:112031. [PMID: 33529679 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2021.112031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common fatal malignant tumors. Glycosmis pentaphylla is used by traditional medical practitioners worldwide to treat various diseases. We isolated and identified a chemical component with potential anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) effects. Methylgerambullin is a sulfur containing amine and has significant antihepatoma activity in vitro and in vivo. Methylgerambullin was significantly cytotoxic to HCC cells and induces apoptosis in HCC cells. In addition, methylgerambullin is able to inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice without significant toxicity. Regarding the anti-cancer mechanism of methylgerambullin, treatment with methylgerambullin increased the expression of caspase-3, caspase-9 and Bax in vitro and in vivo and reduce the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). Simultaneously, methylgerambullin can also affect ERS-related proteins, inhibit Protein Kinase B (Akt) activity, cause dephosphorylation of downstream Bad, and inhibit the expression of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) protein to inhibit HCC cells proliferation. Overall, these results suggest that methylgerambullin can inhibit HCC cells proliferation by inducing mitochondrial apoptosis, activating ERS signaling pathways and inhibiting the Akt and STAT3 pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Guangwen Shu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Huiqi Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Kejian Pang
- Hotian Uygur Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Hotian, 848200, China
| | - Xinzhou Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Guangzhong Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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19
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Tsepaeva OV, Nemtarev AV, Salikhova TI, Abdullin TI, Grigor Eva LR, Khozyainova SA, Mironov VF. Synthesis, Anticancer, and Antibacterial Activity of Betulinic and Betulonic Acid C-28-Triphenylphosphonium Conjugates with Variable Alkyl Linker Length. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 20:286-300. [PMID: 31660842 DOI: 10.2174/1871520619666191014153554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conjugation of triterpenoids such as betulinic acid 1 with the Triphenylphosphonium (TPP) group is a powerful approach to generating medicinal compounds. Their development proposes structure optimization in respect of availability and activity towards target cells and organelles. Selection of 1 or its precursor betulonic acid 2 and the optimal linker is of particular importance for drug candidate identification among the TPP-triterpenoid conjugates. OBJECTIVE In this study, new C-28-TPP conjugated derivatives of 1 and 2 with the alkyl/alkoxyalkyl linkers of variable length were synthesized and compared regarding their anticancer, antibacterial, and mitochondriatargeted effects. METHODS The TPP conjugates of 1 and 2 [6a-f, 7a-f] were synthesized by the reaction of halogenalkyl esters [3a-f, 4a-f, 5] with triphenylphosphine in acetonitrile upon heating. Cytotoxicity (MTT assay), antibacterial activity (microdilution assay), and mitochondrial effects (flow cytofluorometry) were studied. RESULTS Conjugation with the TPP group greatly increased the cytotoxicity of the triterpenoids up to 30 times. The conjugates were up to 10-17 times more active against MCF-7 (IC50 = 0.17μM, 72h, 6c) and PC-3 (IC50 = 0.14μM, 72h, 6a) cancer cells than for human skin fibroblasts. The enhanced antibacterial (bactericidal) activity of the TPP-triterpenoid conjugates with MIC for Gram-positive bacteria as low as 2μM (6a, 7a) was for the first time revealed. The conjugates were found to effectively inhibit fluorescence of 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin probe in the cytosol upon oxidation, decrease transmembrane potential, and increase superoxide radical level in mitochondria. CONCLUSION Relationships between the effects and structure of the TPP-triterpenoid conjugates were evaluated and discussed. Based on the results, 6a can be selected for further preclinical investigation as a potential anticancer compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Tsepaeva
- Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, 8 Arbuzov Str., 420088 Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey V Nemtarev
- Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, 8 Arbuzov Str., 420088 Kazan, Russian Federation.,Alexander Butlerov Institute of Chemistry, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Taliya I Salikhova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Timur I Abdullin
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Leysan R Grigor Eva
- Alexander Butlerov Institute of Chemistry, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Svetlana A Khozyainova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir F Mironov
- Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, 8 Arbuzov Str., 420088 Kazan, Russian Federation.,Alexander Butlerov Institute of Chemistry, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation
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20
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Spivak AY, Nedopekina DA, Gubaidullin RR, Davletshin EV, Tukhbatullin AA, D’yakonov VA, Yunusbaeva MM, Dzhemileva LU, Dzhemilev UM. Pentacyclic triterpene acid conjugated with mitochondria-targeting cation F16: Synthesis and evaluation of cytotoxic activities. Med Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-021-02702-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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21
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Tsepaeva OV, Nemtarev AV, Kundina AV, Grigor’eva LR, Mironov VF. Synthesis of novel mannopyranosyl betulinic acid phosphoniohexyl ester. MENDELEEV COMMUNICATIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mencom.2021.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Wang G, Yu Y, Wang YZ, Zhu ZM, Yin PH, Xu K. Effects and mechanisms of fatty acid metabolism‑mediated glycolysis regulated by betulinic acid‑loaded nanoliposomes in colorectal cancer. Oncol Rep 2020; 44:2595-2609. [PMID: 33125108 PMCID: PMC7640364 DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have demonstrated that triterpenoids, such as betulinic acid (BA), can inhibit tumor cell growth, their potential targets in colorectal cancer (CRC) metabolism have not been systematically investigated. In the present study, BA‑loaded nanoliposomes (BA‑NLs) were prepared, and their effects on CRC cell lines were evaluated. The aim of the present study was to determine the anticancer mechanisms of action of BA‑NLs in fatty acid metabolism‑mediated glycolysis, and investigate the role of key targets, such as acyl‑CoA synthetase (ACSL), carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) and acetyl CoA, in promoting glycolysis, which is activated by inducing hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase‑1 (PFK‑1), phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate kinase (PK) expression. The results demonstrated that BA‑NLs significantly suppressed the proliferation and glucose uptake of CRC cells by regulating potential glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism targets and pathways, which forms the basis of the anti‑CRC function of BA‑NLs. Moreover, the effects of BA‑NLs were further validated by demonstrating that the key targets of HK2, PFK‑1, PEP and PK isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) in glycolysis, and of ACSL1, CPT1a and PEP in fatty acid metabolism, were blocked by BA‑NLs, which play key roles in the inhibition of glycolysis and fatty acid‑mediated production of pyruvate and lactate. The results of the present study may provide a deeper understanding supporting the hypothesis that liposomal BA may regulate alternative metabolic pathways implicated in CRC adjuvant therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai 200235, P.R. China
| | - Yang Yu
- Jiangsu University School of Pharmacy, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Zhu Wang
- Jiangsu University School of Pharmacy, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Min Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Shanghai 200235, P.R. China
| | - Pei-Hao Yin
- Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Ke Xu
- Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
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Triangular Relationship between p53, Autophagy, and Chemotherapy Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238991. [PMID: 33256191 PMCID: PMC7730978 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy and radiation often induce a number of cellular responses, such as apoptosis, autophagy, and senescence. One of the major regulators of these processes is p53, an essential tumor suppressor that is often mutated or lost in many cancer types and implicated in early tumorigenesis. Gain of function (GOF) p53 mutations have been implicated in increased susceptibility to drug resistance, by compromising wildtype anti-tumor functions of p53 or modulating key p53 processes that confer chemotherapy resistance, such as autophagy. Autophagy, a cellular survival mechanism, is initially induced in response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and its cytoprotective nature became the spearhead of a number of clinical trials aimed to sensitize patients to chemotherapy. However, increased pre-clinical studies have exemplified the multifunctional role of autophagy. Additionally, compartmental localization of p53 can modulate induction or inhibition of autophagy and may play a role in autophagic function. The duality in p53 function and its effects on autophagic function are generally not considered in clinical trial design or clinical therapeutics; however, ample pre-clinical studies suggest they play a role in tumor responses to therapy and drug resistance. Further inquiry into the interconnection between autophagy and p53, and its effects on chemotherapeutic responses may provide beneficial insights on multidrug resistance and novel treatment regimens for chemosensitization.
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Farcas CG, Dehelean C, Pinzaru IA, Mioc M, Socoliuc V, Moaca EA, Avram S, Ghiulai R, Coricovac D, Pavel I, Alla PK, Cretu OM, Soica C, Loghin F. Thermosensitive Betulinic Acid-Loaded Magnetoliposomes: A Promising Antitumor Potential for Highly Aggressive Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cells Under Hyperthermic Conditions. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:8175-8200. [PMID: 33122905 PMCID: PMC7591238 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s269630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Breast cancer presents one of the highest rates of prevalence around the world. Despite this, the current breast cancer therapy is characterized by significant side effects and high risk of recurrence. The present work aimed to develop a new therapeutic strategy that may improve the current breast cancer therapy by developing a heat-sensitive liposomal nano-platform suitable to incorporate both anti-tumor betulinic acid (BA) compound and magnetic iron nanoparticles (MIONPs), in order to address both remote drug release and hyperthermia-inducing features. To address the above-mentioned biomedical purposes, the nanocarrier must possess specific features such as specific phase transition temperature, diameter below 200 nm, superparamagnetic properties and heating capacity. Moreover, the anti-tumor activity of the developed nanocarrier should significantly affect human breast adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS BA-loaded magnetoliposomes and corresponding controls (BA-free liposomes and liposomes containing no magnetic payload) were obtained through the thin-layer hydration method. The quality and stability of the multifunctional platforms were physico-chemically analysed by the means of RAMAN, scanning electron microscopy-EDAX, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and DSC analysis. Besides this, the magnetic characterization of magnetoliposomes was performed in terms of superparamagnetic behaviour and heating capacity. The biological profile of the platforms and controls was screened through multiple in vitro methods, such as MTT, LDH and scratch assays, together with immunofluorescence staining. In addition, CAM assay was performed in order to assess a possible anti-angiogenic activity induced by the test samples. RESULTS The physico-chemical analysis revealed that BA-loaded magnetoliposomes present suitable characteristics for the purpose of this study, showing biocompatible phase transition temperature, a diameter of 198 nm, superparamagnetic features and heating capacity. In vitro results showed that hyperthermia induces enhanced anti-tumor activity when breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to BA-loaded magnetoliposomes, while a low cytotoxic rate was exhibited by the non-tumorigenic breast epithelial MCF 10A cells. Moreover, the in ovo angiogenesis assay endorsed the efficacy of this multifunctional platform as a good strategy for breast cancer therapy, under hyperthermal conditions. Regarding the possible mechanism of action of this multifunctional nano-platform, the immunocytochemistry of the MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells revealed a microtubule assembly modulatory activity, under hyperthermal conditions. CONCLUSION Collectively, these findings indicate that BA-loaded magnetoliposomes, under hyperthermal conditions, might serve as a promising strategy for breast adenocarcinoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Geanina Farcas
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Cristina Dehelean
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Iulia Andreea Pinzaru
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Marius Mioc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Vlad Socoliuc
- Laboratory of Magnetic Fluids, Center for Fundamental and Advanced Technical Research, Romanian Academy – Timisoara Branch, Timisoara, Romania
- Research Center for Complex Fluids Systems Engineering, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Elena-Alina Moaca
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Stefana Avram
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roxana Ghiulai
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Dorina Coricovac
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioana Pavel
- Department of Chemistry, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | | | - Octavian Marius Cretu
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Codruta Soica
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Felicia Loghin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca, Cluj Napoca, Romania
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25
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Macasoi I, Mioc A, Mioc M, Racoviceanu R, Soica I, Chevereșan A, Dehelean C, Dumitrașcu V. Targeting Mitochondria through the Use of Mitocans as Emerging Anticancer Agents. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:5730-5757. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190712150638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are key players with a multi-functional role in many vital cellular processes,
such as energy metabolism, redox regulation, calcium homeostasis, Reactive Oxygen Species
(ROS) as well as in cell signaling, survival and apoptosis. These functions are mainly regulated
through important enzyme signaling cascades, which if altered may influence the outcome of cell
viability and apoptosis. Therefore some of the key enzymes that are vital for these signaling pathways
are emerging as important targets for new anticancer agent development. Mitocans are compounds
aimed at targeting mitochondria in cancer cells by altering mitochondrial functions thus
causing cell growth inhibition or apoptosis. This review summarizes the till present known classes
of mitocans, their mechanism of action and potential therapeutic use in different forms of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Macasoi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alexandra Mioc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Marius Mioc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roxana Racoviceanu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Irina Soica
- Earlscliffe Sixth Form, Earlscliffe, 29 Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone, CT20 2NB, United Kingdom
| | - Adelina Chevereșan
- Faculty of Medicine, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Cristina Dehelean
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Victor Dumitrașcu
- Faculty of Medicine, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara, Romania
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Tundo GR, Sbardella D, Santoro AM, Coletta A, Oddone F, Grasso G, Milardi D, Lacal PM, Marini S, Purrello R, Graziani G, Coletta M. The proteasome as a druggable target with multiple therapeutic potentialities: Cutting and non-cutting edges. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 213:107579. [PMID: 32442437 PMCID: PMC7236745 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) is an adaptable and finely tuned system that sustains proteostasis network under a large variety of physiopathological conditions. Its dysregulation is often associated with the onset and progression of human diseases; hence, UPS modulation has emerged as a promising new avenue for the development of treatments of several relevant pathologies, such as cancer and neurodegeneration. The clinical interest in proteasome inhibition has considerably increased after the FDA approval in 2003 of bortezomib for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, which is now used in the front-line setting. Thereafter, two other proteasome inhibitors (carfilzomib and ixazomib), designed to overcome resistance to bortezomib, have been approved for treatment-experienced patients, and a variety of novel inhibitors are currently under preclinical and clinical investigation not only for haematological malignancies but also for solid tumours. However, since UPS collapse leads to toxic misfolded proteins accumulation, proteasome is attracting even more interest as a target for the care of neurodegenerative diseases, which are sustained by UPS impairment. Thus, conceptually, proteasome activation represents an innovative and largely unexplored target for drug development. According to a multidisciplinary approach, spanning from chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology to pharmacology, this review will summarize the most recent available literature regarding different aspects of proteasome biology, focusing on structure, function and regulation of proteasome in physiological and pathological processes, mostly cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, connecting biochemical features and clinical studies of proteasome targeting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R Tundo
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - A M Santoro
- CNR, Institute of Crystallography, Catania, Italy
| | - A Coletta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - F Oddone
- IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy
| | - G Grasso
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - D Milardi
- CNR, Institute of Crystallography, Catania, Italy
| | - P M Lacal
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - S Marini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - R Purrello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - G Graziani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
| | - M Coletta
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
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27
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Sulik M, Maj E, Wietrzyk J, Huczyński A, Antoszczak M. Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Dimeric Polyether Ionophores. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10071039. [PMID: 32664671 PMCID: PMC7408349 DOI: 10.3390/biom10071039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyether ionophores represent a group of natural lipid-soluble biomolecules with a broad spectrum of bioactivity, ranging from antibacterial to anticancer activity. Three seem to be particularly interesting in this context, namely lasalocid acid, monensin, and salinomycin, as they are able to selectively target cancer cells of various origin including cancer stem cells. Due to their potent biological activity and abundant availability, some research groups around the world have successfully followed semi-synthetic approaches to generate original derivatives of ionophores. However, a definitely less explored avenue is the synthesis and functional evaluation of their multivalent structures. Thus, in this paper, we describe the synthetic access to a series of original homo- and heterodimers of polyether ionophores, in which (i) two salinomycin molecules are joined through triazole linkers, or (ii) salinomycin is combined with lasalocid acid, monensin, or betulinic acid partners to form 'mixed' dimeric structures. Of note, all 11 products were tested in vitro for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of six cancer cell lines including the doxorubicin resistant colon adenocarcinoma LoVo/DX cell line; five dimers (14-15, 17-18 and 22) were identified to be more potent than the reference agents (i.e., both parent compound(s) and commonly used cytostatic drugs) in selective targeting of various types of cancer. Dimers 16 and 21 were also found to effectively overcome the resistance of the LoVo/DX cancer cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Sulik
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61–614 Poznań, Poland; (M.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Ewa Maj
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rudolfa Weigla 12, 53–114 Wrocław, Poland; (E.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Joanna Wietrzyk
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Rudolfa Weigla 12, 53–114 Wrocław, Poland; (E.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Adam Huczyński
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61–614 Poznań, Poland; (M.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Michał Antoszczak
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61–614 Poznań, Poland; (M.S.); (A.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-61-829-1786
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28
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Garcês de Couto NM, Willig JB, Ruaro TC, de Oliveira DL, Buffon A, Pilger DA, Arruda MS, Miron D, Zimmer AR, Gnoatto SC. Betulinic Acid and Brosimine B Hybrid Derivatives as Potential Agents against Female Cancers. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2020; 20:622-633. [DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200124111634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Cancer is a multifactorial disease, representing one of the leading causes of death
worldwide. On a global estimate, breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in women and cervical
cancer, the fourth most common. Both types of cancer remain the major cause of cancer-related mortality in
developing countries. A strategy for rational drug design is hybridization, which aims to bring together in one
molecule, two or more pharmacophores in order to reach several biological targets.
Objective:
The objective of this work was to develop new hybrids based on natural pharmacophores: Betulinic
acid (1) and brosimine b (2), active in female cancer cell lines.
Methods:
The coupling reactions were carried out by Steglich esterification. Different compounds were designed
for the complete and simplified structural hybridization of molecules. The anticancer activities of the
compounds were evaluated in human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), human cervical metastatic epidermoid
carcinoma (ME-180), and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines.
Results:
Hybrid 3 presented higher potency (IC50 = 9.2 ± 0.5μM) and SI (43.5) selectively in MCF-7 cells (in
relation to Vero cells) with its cytotoxic effect occurring via apoptosis. In addition, compound 6 showed activity
in MCF-7 and HeLa cells with intermediate potency, but with high efficacy, acting via apoptosis as well.
Conclusion:
In this context, we showed that the combination of two complex structures generated the development
of hybrids with differing inhibitory profiles and apoptotic modes of action, thus representing potential
alternatives in female cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nádia M. Garcês de Couto
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Júlia B. Willig
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Thaís C. Ruaro
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Andréia Buffon
- Laboratory of Biochemical and Cytological Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diogo A. Pilger
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mara S.P. Arruda
- Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Para, Belem, Brazil
| | - Diogo Miron
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Aline R. Zimmer
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Simone C.B. Gnoatto
- Post-graduation of Pharmaceutical Science Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Mierina I, Vilskersts R, Turks M. Delivery Systems for Birch-bark Triterpenoids and their Derivatives in Anticancer Research. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:1308-1336. [PMID: 29848269 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180530095657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Birch-bark triterpenoids and their semi-synthetic derivatives possess a wide range of biological activities including cytotoxic effects on various tumor cell lines. However, due to the low solubility and bioavailability, their medicinal applications are rather limited. The use of various nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems is a rapidly developing approach to the solubilization of insufficiently bioavailable pharmaceuticals. Herein, the drug delivery systems deemed to be applicable for birch-bark triterpenoid structures are reviewed. The aforementioned disadvantages of birch-bark triterpenoids and their semi-synthetic derivatives can be overcome through their incorporation into organic nanoparticles, which include various dendrimeric systems, as well as embedding the active compounds into polymer matrices or complexation with carbohydrate nanoparticles without covalent bonding. Some of the known triterpenoid delivery systems consist of nanoparticles featuring inorganic cores covered with carbohydrates or other polymers. Methods for delivering the title compounds through encapsulation and emulsification into lipophilic media are also suitable. Besides, the birch-bark triterpenoids can form self-assembling systems with increased bio-availability. Even more, the self-assembling systems are used as carriers for delivering other chemotherapeutic agents. Another advantage besides increased bioavailability and anticancer activity is the reduced overall systemic toxicity in most of the cases, when triterpenoids are delivered with any of the carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inese Mierina
- Institute of Technology of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Reinis Vilskersts
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia; 3Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Māris Turks
- Institute of Technology of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
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30
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Oliveira VC, Naves MPC, de Morais CR, Constante SAR, Orsolin PC, Alves BS, Rinaldi Neto F, da Silva LHD, de Oliveira LTS, Ferreira NH, Esperandim TR, Cunha WR, Tavares DC, Spanó MA. Betulinic acid modulates urethane-induced genotoxicity and mutagenicity in mice and Drosophila melanogaster. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 138:111228. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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31
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Wang H, Dong F, Wang Y, Wang X, Hong D, Liu Y, Zhou J. Betulinic acid induces apoptosis of gallbladder cancer cells via repressing SCD1. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2020; 52:200-206. [PMID: 31915810 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmz148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common and aggressive malignancy of the biliary tract. Betulinic acid (BetA) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects; however, the effect of BetA on GBC is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of BetA on five GBC cell lines and found that BetA significantly inhibited the proliferation of NOZ cells but had little inhibitory effect on other GBC cells. BetA disturbed mitochondrial membrane potential and induced apoptosis in NOZ cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) was highly expressed in NOZ cells but low expressed in other GBC cells. BetA inhibited SCD1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner in NOZ cells. Downregulation of SCD1 expression by RNA interference inhibited the proliferation of NOZ cells and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, BetA inhibited the growth of xenografted tumors and suppressed SCD1 expression in nude mice. Thus, our results showed that BetA induced apoptosis through repressing SCD1 expression in GBC, suggesting that BetA might be an effective agent for the treatment of patients with GBC that highly expresses SCD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfei Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Biliary Tract Disease Research, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Fangxiao Dong
- Department of Model Animal Research, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Model Animal Research, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xu’an Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Biliary Tract Disease Research, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Defei Hong
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yingbin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Biliary Tract Disease Research, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Biliary Tract Disease Research, Shanghai 200092, China
- Department of Pediatric Laboratory, Wuxi Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China
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32
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Peng X, Lin Y, Liang J, Zhou M, Zhou J, Ruan H. Triterpenoids from the barks of Juglans hopeiensis. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020; 170:112201. [PMID: 31778881 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2019.112201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nine undescribed triterpenoids (jughopenoids A-I), including seven nortriterpenoids and two normal triterpenoids, together with fourteen known analogues, were isolated from the barks of Juglans hopeiensis Hu. The structures of the undescribed triterpenoids were established by integrated spectroscopic analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Jughopenoid A represented an unprecedented lupane-type nortriterpenoid with a five-membered lactone ring A. Selected isolates were tested for their cytotoxic effects against human HT-29 colon carcinoma, human HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma, and human PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. Their immunosuppressive activities against ConA-induced T cell proliferation and LPS-induced B cell proliferation were also evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogang Peng
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Hangkonglu 13, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Yi Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Hangkonglu 13, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Jingjing Liang
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Hangkonglu 13, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Ming Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Hangkonglu 13, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Jia Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Hangkonglu 13, Wuhan, 430030, PR China
| | - Hanli Ruan
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Hangkonglu 13, Wuhan, 430030, PR China.
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Dutta D, Paul B, Mukherjee B, Mondal L, Sen S, Chowdhury C, Debnath MC. Nanoencapsulated betulinic acid analogue distinctively improves colorectal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11506. [PMID: 31395908 PMCID: PMC6687831 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47743-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Betulinic acid, a plant secondary metabolite, has gained significant attention due to its antiproliferative activity over a range of cancer cells. A promising betulinic acid analogue (2c) with better therapeutic efficacy than parent molecule to colon carcinoma cells has been reported. Despite impressive biological applications, low aqueous solubility and bioavailability create difficulties for its therapeutic applications. To overcome these lacunae and make it as a promising drug candidate we have encapsulated the lead betulinic acid derivative (2c) in a polymeric nanocarrier system (2c-NP) and evaluated its in vitro and in vivo therapeutic efficacy. Apoptosis that induces in vitro antiproliferative activity was significantly increased by 2c-NP compared to free-drug (2c), as assured by MTT assay, Annexin V positivity, JC1 analysis and cell cycle study. The therapeutic potential measured in vitro and in vivo reflects ability of 2c-NP as an effective therapeutic agent for treatment of colon carcinoma and future translation to clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasmita Dutta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Brahamacharry Paul
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Biswajit Mukherjee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India.
| | - Laboni Mondal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Suparna Sen
- Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Chinmay Chowdhury
- Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Mita Chatterjee Debnath
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India
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Cheng Z, Zhang T, Zheng J, Ding W, Wang Y, Li Y, Zhu L, Murray M, Zhou F. Betulinic acid derivatives can protect human Müller cells from glutamate-induced oxidative stress. Exp Cell Res 2019; 383:111509. [PMID: 31344390 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2019.111509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Müller cells are the predominant retinal glial cells. One of the key roles of Müller cells is in the uptake of the neurotransmitter glutamate and in its conversion to glutamine. Müller cell dysfunction due to oxidative stress elicited by high glutamate concentrations can lead to toxicity, which promote the pathogenesis of retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. This study investigated the anti-oxidant activity and mechanisms of betulinic acid (BA) and its derivatives in human Müller cells. Human MIO-M1 Müller cells were pre-treated in the presence or absence of BA, BE as well as their derivatives (named H3-H20) followed by incubation with glutamate. Cell viability was evaluated with the MTT and calcein-AM assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in MIO-M1 cells was measured using CM-H2DCFDA and flow cytometry. The activation of cellular apoptosis and necrosis was analyzed with annexin V/PI staining and flow cytometry. The modulation of signaling pathways involved in glutamate-mediated cytotoxicity and ROS production was evaluated by immunoblotting. The BA derivatives H3, H5 and H7 exhibited minimal cytotoxicity and significant anti-oxidant activity. These compounds significantly suppressed ROS production and attenuated cellular necrosis elicited by glutamate-induced oxidative stress. The protective effects of H3, H5 and H7 in MIO-M1 cells were associated with the attenuation of Akt, Erk, and JNK signaling. The BA analogues H3, H5 and H7 are protective against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in human Müller cells, and elicit their actions by modulation of the Erk, Akt and JNK signaling pathways. These agents are potential candidate molecules for the prevention or treatment of human retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqi Cheng
- The University of Sydney, School of Pharmacy, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Ting Zhang
- The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Jian Zheng
- Northeast Forestry University, Center for Bioactive Products/Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Weimin Ding
- Harbin University of Science and Technology, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Harbin, 150080, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Northeast Forestry University, Center for Bioactive Products/Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Yue Li
- The University of Sydney, School of Pharmacy, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Ling Zhu
- The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Michael Murray
- The University of Sydney, Discipline of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Fanfan Zhou
- The University of Sydney, School of Pharmacy, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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Amiri S, Dastghaib S, Ahmadi M, Mehrbod P, Khadem F, Behrouj H, Aghanoori MR, Machaj F, Ghamsari M, Rosik J, Hudecki A, Afkhami A, Hashemi M, Los MJ, Mokarram P, Madrakian T, Ghavami S. Betulin and its derivatives as novel compounds with different pharmacological effects. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 38:107409. [PMID: 31220568 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Betulin (B) and Betulinic acid (BA) are natural pentacyclic lupane-structure triterpenoids which possess a wide range of pharmacological activities. Recent evidence indicates that B and BA have several properties useful for the treatment of metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and neurological disorders. In the current review, we discuss B and BA structures and derivatives and then comprehensively explain their pharmacological effects in relation to various diseases. We also explain antiviral, antibacterial and anti-cancer effects of B and BA. Finally, we discuss the delivery methods, in which these compounds most effectively target different systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayan Amiri
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Rady College of Medicine, Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Sanaz Dastghaib
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mazaher Ahmadi
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Parvaneh Mehrbod
- Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Department, Pasteur Institute of IRAN, Tehran, Iran
| | - Forough Khadem
- Department of Immunology, Rady College of Medicine, Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Hamid Behrouj
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohamad-Reza Aghanoori
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Filip Machaj
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-344 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Mahdi Ghamsari
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Jakub Rosik
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-344 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Andrzej Hudecki
- Institue of Non-Ferrous Metals, ul. Sowińskiego 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Abbas Afkhami
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hashemi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Marek J Los
- Biotechnology Center, Silesian University of Technology, ul Bolesława Krzywoustego 8, Gliwice, Poland; Linkocare Life Sciences AB, Teknikringen 10, Plan 3, 583 30 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Pooneh Mokarram
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Tayyebeh Madrakian
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Rady College of Medicine, Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Biology of Breathing Theme, Children Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
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Betulinic acid suppresses Th17 response and ameliorates psoriasis-like murine skin inflammation. Int Immunopharmacol 2019; 73:343-352. [PMID: 31129421 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease. Current treatment for psoriasis relies on conventional immunosuppressive agents. However, long-term treatment with global immunosuppression may cause various side effects. Thus, it is compelling to seek alternative drugs for treating psoriasis with potentially less side effects. Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene, an ingredient that originally exists in natural plants and lacks systemic toxicity. BA can regulate immunity with anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, it's unknown whether BA has a therapeutic effect on psoriasis. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether BA attenuates psoriatic skin inflammation and to identify its mechanisms of action. A murine model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis was utilized to evaluate skin lesion while flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting analyses were performed for immunoassays. We found that BA treatment alleviated psoriatic symptoms and inflammatory skin lesion. BA lowered the PASI scores, decreased epidermal thickness and reduced T cell infiltration in the skin lesion. Moreover, BA reduced the frequency of IL-17A-expressing CD4+ and γδ T cells in psoriatic mice, but did not alter CD4+FoxP3+ Treg frequency. BA also reduced IL-17A production but increased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level in serum of the psoriatic mice. Furthermore, BA inhibited gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in skin lesions, including RORγt, IL-17A, IL-6 and TNFα. Importantly, it suppressed NFκB signaling in the skin lesion. Finally, BA inhibited T cell proliferation and IL-17A production by CD4+ T-Cells in vitro. Thus, BA attenuates psoriasis and inhibits Th17 development.
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Cheng Z, Yao W, Zheng J, Ding W, Wang Y, Zhang T, Zhu L, Zhou F. A derivative of betulinic acid protects human Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells from cobalt chloride-induced acute hypoxic stress. Exp Eye Res 2018; 180:92-101. [PMID: 30578788 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of cells located above the choroid. It mediates human visual cycle and nourishes photoreceptors. Hypoxia-induced oxidative stress to RPE is a vital cause of retinal degeneration such as the Age-related Macular Degeneration. Most of these retinal diseases are irreversible with no efficient treatment, therefore protecting RPE cells from hypoxia stress is an important way to prevent or slow down the progression of retinal degeneration. Betulinic acid (BA) and betulin (BE) are pentacyclic triterpenoids with anti-oxidative property, but little is known about their effect on RPE cells. We investigated the protective effect of BA, BE and their derivatives against cobalt chloride-induced hypoxia stress in RPE cells. Human ARPE-19 cells were exposed to BA, BE and their eighteen derivatives (named as H3H20) that we customized through replacing moieties at C3 and C28 positions. We found that cobalt chloride reduced cell viability, increased Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production as well as induced apoptosis and necrosis in ARPE-19 cells. Interestingly, the pretreatment of 3-O-acetyl-glycyl- 28-O-glycyl-betulinic acid effectively protected cells from acute hypoxia stress induced by cobalt chloride. Our immunoblotting results suggested that this derivative attenuated the cobalt chloride-induced activation of Akt, Erk and JNK pathways. All findings were further validated in human primary RPE cells. In summary, this BA derivate has protective effect against the acute hypoxic stress in human RPE cells and may be developed into a candidate agent effective in the prevention of prevalent retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqi Cheng
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Wenjuan Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jian Zheng
- Center for Bioactive Products, Northeast Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Weimin Ding
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Center for Bioactive Products, Northeast Forestry University/Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Zhu
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Fanfan Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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38
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Shin M, Lee BM, Kim O, Tran HNK, Lee S, Hwangbo C, Min BS, Lee JH. Triterpenoids from Ziziphus jujuba induce apoptotic cell death in human cancer cells through mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. Food Funct 2018; 9:3895-3905. [PMID: 29968885 DOI: 10.1039/c8fo00526e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ziziphus jujuba var. inermis Rehder is an edible fruit-producing species of the Rhamnaceae family. In the present study, we isolated eight triterpenoids (1-8) from the fruits of Z. jujuba var. inermis and evaluated their apoptotic cell-death-inducing activities in human cancer cell lines (A549, PC-3, and MDA-MB-231). The structures of compounds 1-8 were determined by spectroscopic methods. Among these, four isomers of coumaroyl alphitolic acid showed potent cytotoxic activities on these cancer cells: 3-O-cis-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid (3), 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid (4), 2-O-trans-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid (5), and 2-O-cis-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid (6). Moreover, compounds 3-6 induced apoptotic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. We further investigated the apoptosis-inducing effects of compound 4 in PC-3 cells which triggered the cleavage of procaspase-3, procaspase-7, procaspase-8, bid, and PARP. Compound 4 increased both the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), but decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential. Pretreatment with Mito-TEMPO (a specific mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant) or a specific p38 inhibitor (SB203580) attenuated apoptotic cell death triggered by compound 4 which suggests that compound 4 may induce apoptotic cell death in these cancer cells by increasing the mitochondrial ROS production as well as the subsequent p38 MAPK activation. The study findings provide a rational base to use Ziziphus extracts for cancer treatments in traditional oriental medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna Shin
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24414, Republic of Korea.
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Kambhampati NSV, Kar S, Pinnepalli SSK, Chelli J, Doble M. Microbial cyclic β-(1→3),(1→6)-glucans as potential drug carriers: Interaction studies between cyclic β-glucans isolated from Bradyrhizobium japonicum and betulinic acid. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2018; 203:494-500. [PMID: 29898432 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2018.05.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid, is a very promising therapeutic drug with varied medicinal properties but it has low water solubility and consequentially low bioavailability. Cyclic β-(1→3),(1→6)-glucans (CBG), microbial cyclooligosaccharides produced by Bradyrhizobium japonicum ATCC 10324 having a cavity structure and good solubility in water have been tested for their ability to encapsulate betulinic acid and drug-binding interactions of CBG and BA were studied. First, in silico approach was employed to study the scope of any interaction between the CBG and BA. Then, the cyclic glucan-betulinic acid complexes were prepared in three compositions of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 CBG:BA. The complexes were analysed using UV-VIS spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, powder XRD, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to confirm the computational results and consequently the encapsulation efficiency was found to be 9.53%.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Swayamsiddha Kar
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam 515134, Andhra Pradesh, India.
| | - Sai Siva Kumar Pinnepalli
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam 515134, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Janardhana Chelli
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam 515134, Andhra Pradesh, India.
| | - Mukesh Doble
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Kumar P, Bhadauria AS, Singh AK, Saha S. Betulinic acid as apoptosis activator: Molecular mechanisms, mathematical modeling and chemical modifications. Life Sci 2018; 209:24-33. [PMID: 30076920 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.07.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A natural product betulinic acid (BA) has gained a huge significance in the recent years for its strong cytotoxicity. Surprisingly, in spite of being an interesting cancer protecting agent on a variety of tumor cells, the normal cells and tissues are rarely affected by BA. Betulinic acid and analogues (BAs) generally exert through the mechanisms that provokes an event of direct cell death and bypass the resistance to normal chemotherapeutics. Although the major mechanism associated with its ability to induce direct cell death is mitochondrial apoptosis, there are several other mechanisms explored recently. Importantly, mathematical modeling of apoptosis has been an important tool to explore the precise mechanism involved in mitochondrial apoptosis. Thus, this review is an endeavor to sum up the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of BA and future directions to apply mathematical modeling technique to better understand the precise mechanism of BA-induced apoptosis. The last section of the review encompasses the plausible structural modifications and formulations to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of BA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranesh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India
| | - Archana S Bhadauria
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur 273009, India
| | - Ashok K Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India
| | - Sudipta Saha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India.
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Abstract
Maintenance of protein homeostasis is a crucial process for the normal functioning of the cell. The regulated degradation of proteins is primarily facilitated by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), a system of selective tagging of proteins with ubiquitin followed by proteasome-mediated proteolysis. The UPS is highly dynamic consisting of both ubiquitination and deubiquitination steps that modulate protein stabilization and degradation. Deregulation of protein stability is a common feature in the development and progression of numerous cancer types. Simultaneously, the elevated protein synthesis rate of cancer cells and consequential accumulation of misfolded proteins drives UPS addiction, thus sensitizing them to UPS inhibitors. This sensitivity along with the potential of stabilizing pro-apoptotic signaling pathways makes the proteasome an attractive clinical target for the development of novel therapies. Targeting of the catalytic 20S subunit of the proteasome is already a clinically validated strategy in multiple myeloma and other cancers. Spurred on by this success, promising novel inhibitors of the UPS have entered development, targeting the 20S as well as regulatory 19S subunit and inhibitors of deubiquitinating and ubiquitin ligase enzymes. In this review, we outline the manner in which deregulation of the UPS can cause cancer to develop, current clinical application of proteasome inhibitors, and the (pre-)clinical development of novel inhibitors of the UPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjan Mofers
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Paola Pellegrini
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Stig Linder
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden. .,Cancer Center Karolinska, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pádraig D'Arcy
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
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Vijaya, Yadav AK, Gogoi S. In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of two pentacyclic triterpenoids, ursolic acid and betulinic acid against mice pinworm, Syphacia obvelata. J Parasit Dis 2018; 42:144-149. [PMID: 29491574 PMCID: PMC5825362 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-017-0960-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pinworm infections are one of the common problems in laboratory rodents and man. At present there are only few drugs against intestinal helminths, and new drugs are urgently needed to cope up any future risk of drug resistance. Interest in plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) has risen considerably in the recent years for the discovery and development of new drugs. In the present study, we explored the in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic potentials of two pentacyclic triterpenoids, ursolic acid (UA) and betulinic acid (BA), the important PSMs of many medicinal plants, against Syphacia obvelata (Nematoda: Oxyuridae), a common pinworm of mice. The results of this study indicated that in both, in vitro and in vivo assays, BA showed comparatively better anthelmintic effects than UA. In the in vitro assay, 1.00 mg/ml concentration of BA showed paralysis and mortality of worms in 1.20 ± 0.04 and 2.30 ± 0.03 h, respectively. In the in vivo assay, a single 10.00 mg/kg dose of BA, administered for 5 days, revealed 68.78% reduction in egg counts and 84.08% reduction in worm counts of infected mice. The present study suggests that BA holds a great promise to be pursued further for detailed testing against some other representative group of helminth parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijaya
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022 India
| | - Arun K. Yadav
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022 India
| | - S. Gogoi
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022 India
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Pang KL, Vijayaraghavan K, Sayed BA, Seyed MA. Betulinic acid‑induced expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‑diaphorase in the immune organs of mice: A possible role of nitric oxide in immunomodulation. Mol Med Rep 2018; 17:3035-3041. [PMID: 29257292 PMCID: PMC5783524 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.8262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of betulinic acid (BetA) on the expression and distribution pattern of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH‑d), an indirect indicator of nitric oxide (NO) synthase in the thymus and spleen of mice. Mice were randomly assigned to four main groups (n=48 per group): Experimental group (BetA), positive control group (goniothalamin), vehicle control group (dimethyl sulfoxide) and control group (without vehicle). Each group was further divided into three equal subgroups according to the treatment length (4, 8 and 12 days). BetA treatment induced the expression of NADPH‑d activity in the thymus and spleen without any significant changes in the morphology of the organs. Furthermore, the expression pattern of NADPH‑d in BetA‑treated animals was significantly increased compared with that in the control animals. NADPH‑d expression in the thymus and spleen suggests that NO signaling may be a potential mechanism underlying the BetA‑induced immunomodulation in these organs. These findings are of direct clinical relevance and may contribute to the further development of BetA as a therapeutic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Le Pang
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti, Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), The National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | | | - Badr Al Sayed
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia
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Adnan M, Patel M, Reddy MN, Alshammari E. Formulation, evaluation and bioactive potential of Xylaria primorskensis terpenoid nanoparticles from its major compound xylaranic acid. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1740. [PMID: 29379181 PMCID: PMC5789059 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20237-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, fungi have been shown to produce a plethora of new bioactive secondary metabolites of interest, as new lead structures for medicinal and other pharmacological applications. The present investigation was carried out to study the pharmacological properties of a potent and major bioactive compound: xylaranic acid, which was obtained from Xylaria primorskensis (X. primorskensis) terpenoids in terms of antibacterial activity, antioxidant potential against DPPH & H2O2 radicals and anticancer activity against human lung cancer cells. Due to terpenoid nature, low water solubility and wretched bioavailability, its pharmacological use is limited. To overcome these drawbacks, a novel xylaranic acid silver nanoparticle system (AgNPs) is developed. In addition to improving its solubility and bioavailability, other advantageous pharmacological properties has been evaluated. Furthermore, enhanced anticancer activity of xylaranic acid and its AgNPs due to induced apoptosis were also confirmed by determining the expression levels of apoptosis regulatory genes p53, bcl-2 and caspase-3 via qRT PCR method. This is the first study developing the novel xylaranic acid silver nanoparticle system and enlightening its therapeutic significance with its improved physico-chemical properties and augmented bioactive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Adnan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mitesh Patel
- Department of Biosciences, Bapalal Vaidhya Botanical Research Centre, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat, Gujarat, India
| | - Mandadi Narsimha Reddy
- Department of Biosciences, Bapalal Vaidhya Botanical Research Centre, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat, Gujarat, India
| | - Eyad Alshammari
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia
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Saneja A, Arora D, Kumar R, Dubey RD, Panda AK, Gupta PN. Therapeutic applications of betulinic acid nanoformulations. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1421:5-18. [PMID: 29377164 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA), a naturally occurring plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid, has gained attention in recent years owing to its broad-spectrum biological and medicinal properties. Despite the pharmacological activity of BA, it has been associated with some drawbacks, such as poor aqueous solubility and short half-life in vivo, which limit therapeutic application. To solve these problems, much work in recent years has focused on enhancing BA's aqueous solubility, half-life, and efficacy by using nanoscale drug delivery systems. Several different kinds of nanoscale delivery systems-including polymeric nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, liposomes, polymeric conjugates, nanoemulsions, cyclodextrin complexes, and carbon nanotubes-have been developed for the delivery of BA. Here, we focus on the recent developments of novel nanoformulations used to deliver BA in order to improve its efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Saneja
- Product Development Cell-II, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India.,Formulation & Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Jammu Campus, Jammu, India
| | - Divya Arora
- Formulation & Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Jammu Campus, Jammu, India
| | - Robin Kumar
- Product Development Cell-II, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Ravindra Dhar Dubey
- Formulation & Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
| | - Amulya K Panda
- Product Development Cell-II, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Prem N Gupta
- Formulation & Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Jammu Campus, Jammu, India
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Zhang L, Hou S, Li B, Pan J, Jiang L, Zhou G, Gu H, Zhao C, Lu H, Ma F. Combination of betulinic acid with diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate nitric oxide moiety donating a novel anticancer candidate. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:361-373. [PMID: 29391813 PMCID: PMC5774489 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s154412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Betulinic acid (BA) is a complex lupane triterpenoid with unique antineoplastic activity. However, its antiproliferative activity is far from satisfaction. In order to improve its anticancer efficacy, betulinic acid was conjugated with a nitric oxide (NO)-releasing moiety to get a novel hybrid, BA-78. Methods The antiproliferative activity of BA-78 against 6 cell lines and the ability of releasing nitric oxide were determined. The pro-apoptosis mechanism of BA-78 was investigated as well. Results BA-78 exhibited time-dependent release of NO, and it displayed higher antiproliferative potential than BA through increasing apoptosis and inducing cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Western blotting results showed that BA-78 increased the expression of Bax, Bid, Bad and cytochrome C and reduced the level of anti-apoptosis proteins including Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. Conclusion Our study revealed that novel compound BA-78, possessing betulinic acid and nitric oxide (NO)-releasing moiety, could be developed as an antitumor agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laiyin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi
| | - Shuangxing Hou
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Jianjian Pan
- Department of General Medicine, Fudan University
| | - Liping Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Guiying Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center
| | - Hong Gu
- Department of Pharmacy, Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Caixing Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiping Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fenfen Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Wang CM, Yeh KL, Tsai SJ, Jhan YL, Chou CH. Anti-Proliferative Activity of Triterpenoids and Sterols Isolated from Alstonia scholaris against Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Cells. Molecules 2017; 22:E2119. [PMID: 29194373 PMCID: PMC6149710 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22122119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: In China and South Asia, Alstonia scholaris (Apocynaceae) is an important medicinal plant that has been historically used in traditional ethnopharmacy to treat infectious diseases. Although various pharmacological activities have been reported, the anti-lung cancer components of A. scholaris have not yet been identified. The objective of this study is to evaluate the active components of the leaf extract of A. scholaris, and assess the anti-proliferation effects of isolated compounds against non-small-cell lung carcinoma cells; (2) Methods: NMR was used to identify the chemical constitutes isolated from the leaf extract of A. scholaris. The anti-proliferative activity of compounds against non-small-cell lung carcinoma cells was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay; (3) Results: Eight triterpenoids and five sterols were isolated from the hexane portion of A. scholaris, and structurally identified as: (1) ursolic acid, (2) oleanolic acid, (3) betulinic acid, (4) betulin, (5) 2β,3β,28-lup-20(29)-ene-triol, (6) lupeol, (7) β-amyrin, (8) α-amyrin, (9) poriferasterol, (10) epicampesterol, (11) β-sitosterol, (12) 6β-hydroxy-4-stigmasten-3-one, and (13) ergosta-7,22-diene-3β,5α,6β-triol. Compound 5 was isolated from a plant source for the first time. In addition, compounds 9, 10, 12, and 13 were also isolated from A. scholaris for the first time. Ursolic acid, betulinic acid, betulin, and 2β,3β,28-lup-20(29)-ene-triol showed anti-proliferative activity against NSCLC, with IC50 of 39.8, 40.1, 240.5 and 172.6 μM, respectively.; (4) Conclusion: These findings reflect that pentacyclic triterpenoids are the anti-lung cancer chemicals in A. scholaris. The ability of ursolic acid, betulinic acid, betulin, and 2β,3β,28-lup-20(29)-ene-triol to inhibit the proliferative activity of NSCLC can constitute a valuable group of therapeutic agents in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Min Wang
- Research Center for Biodiversity, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
| | - Kuei-Lin Yeh
- Department of Laboratory, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan.
| | - Shang-Jie Tsai
- Research Center for Biodiversity, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
| | - Yun-Lian Jhan
- Research Center for Biodiversity, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
| | - Chang-Hung Chou
- Research Center for Biodiversity, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
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Down-regulation of NOX4 by betulinic acid protects against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in mice. Curr Med Sci 2017; 37:744-749. [DOI: 10.1007/s11596-017-1798-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Overaccumulation of p53-mediated autophagy protects against betulinic acid-induced apoptotic cell death in colorectal cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e3087. [PMID: 28981110 PMCID: PMC5682653 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA) exhibits cytotoxic activity against some cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanism of BA against CRC cells was little reported. Here, we proved that BA elicited CRC cells' growth inhibition and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, BA treatment induced autophagy via inhibiting the AKT-MTOR signaling pathway. Inhibition of autophagy by either administration of autophagic inhibitor chloroquine or siRNA-mediated knockdown of ATG5 could augment BA-induced apoptotic cell death as well as inhibition of cell proliferation. Moreover, we found that p53 was firstly activated by short exposure to BA and then was rapidly degraded via the ubiquitin-mediated degradation pathway in both wtp53 and mutp53 CRC cells. Notably, more preferential cytotoxicity of BA was obtained in mutp53 cells (IC50 values: HT29, 125 μM; SW480, 58 μM) rather than wtp53 cells (IC50 values: HCT116, 178 μM). Further experiments demonstrated that siRNA-mediated p53 knockdown attenuated BA-induced autophagy, and forced overexpression of p53 augmented BA-induced autophagy, indicating that p53-enhanced BA-induced autophagy. Moreover, BA enhanced the sensitivity of mutp53 cells to chemotherapy drugs such as 5-FU and ADR by degradation of mutp53. Overall, our study proved that BA could induce CRC cell death by inducing apoptosis and reduce the overaccumulation of BA-induced protective autophagy by degrading wtp53 and mutp53 dependent on the ubiquitin-mediated degradation pathway to achieve killer effect, suggesting that BA might serve as a novel desirable drug for mutp53 cancer therapy.
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Kumari N, Jaynes PW, Saei A, Iyengar PV, Richard JLC, Eichhorn PJA. The roles of ubiquitin modifying enzymes in neoplastic disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2017; 1868:456-483. [PMID: 28923280 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The initial experiments performed by Rose, Hershko, and Ciechanover describing the identification of a specific degradation signal in short-lived proteins paved the way to the discovery of the ubiquitin mediated regulation of numerous physiological functions required for cellular homeostasis. Since their discovery of ubiquitin and ubiquitin function over 30years ago it has become wholly apparent that ubiquitin and their respective ubiquitin modifying enzymes are key players in tumorigenesis. The human genome encodes approximately 600 putative E3 ligases and 80 deubiquitinating enzymes and in the majority of cases these enzymes exhibit specificity in sustaining either pro-tumorigenic or tumour repressive responses. In this review, we highlight the known oncogenic and tumour suppressive effects of ubiquitin modifying enzymes in cancer relevant pathways with specific focus on PI3K, MAPK, TGFβ, WNT, and YAP pathways. Moreover, we discuss the capacity of targeting DUBs as a novel anticancer therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishi Kumari
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Patrick William Jaynes
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Azad Saei
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore
| | | | | | - Pieter Johan Adam Eichhorn
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
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