Falcarindiol Stimulates Apoptotic and Autophagic Cell Death to Attenuate Cell Proliferation, Cell Division, and Metastasis through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K Pathway in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Identification of ZIC2 as a Potential Biomarker Linked with the Clinical Progression and Immune Infiltration of Oral Cancer: A Multicenter Study

Aim

To investigate the specific expression profile, clinicopathological significance and mechanism of Zic family member 2 (ZIC2) in oral cancer were unclear. Patients and Methods. We explored the expression pattern and clinicopathological significance of ZIC2 in oral cancer through performing in-house tissue microarray and integrated analysis global RNA-seq and microarrays containing large samples. The molecular basis of ZIC2 in oral cancer was further investigated in the aspects of transcription network and immune correlations. We also performed in vitro experiments and calculated drug sensitivity of oral cancer with different ZIC2 expression levels in response to hundreds of compounds.

Results

All data unanimously proved the significant overexpression of ZIC2 in oral cancer. The upregulation of ZIC2 was remarkably associated with the malignant clinical progression of oral cancer. ZIC2 was predicted to be targeted by miRNAs such as miR-3140, miR-4999, and miR-1322. The infiltration level of CD8+ T and central memory cells was positively related to the overexpression of ZIC2. Oral cancer patients with higher ZIC2 expression showed higher drug sensitivity to two compounds including AZD8186 and ERK_2240.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the upregulation of ZIC2 in oral cancer and its promoting effect on the clinical advancement of oral cancer. The potential clinical value of ZIC2 in oral cancer deserves attention.

Jintiange proteins promote osteogenesis and inhibit apoptosis of osteoblasts by enhancing autophagy via PI3K/AKT and ER stress pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tiger bone, which had long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, had the action of removing wind and alleviating pain, strengthening the sinews and bones, and often used to treat bone impediment, and atrophic debility of bones in TCM clinical practice. As a substitute of natural bone tiger, artificial tiger bone Jintiange (JTG), has been approved by the State Food and Drug Administration of China for relief the symptom of osteoporosis, such as lumbago and back pain, lassitude in loin and legs, flaccidity and weakness legs, and walk with difficulty based on TCM theory. JTG has similar chemical profile to natural tiger bone, and contains mineral substance, peptides and proteins, and has been shown to protect bone loss in ovariectomized mice and exert the regulatory effects on osteoblast and osteoclast activities. But how the peptides and proteins in JTG modulate bone formation remains unclear.

AIM

To investigate the stimulating effects of JTG proteins on osteogenesis and explore the possible underlying mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

JTG proteins were prepared from JTG Capsules by extracting calcium, phosphorus and other inorganic elements using SEP-PaktC18 desalting column. MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with JTG proteins to evaluate their effects and explore the underlying mechanisms. Osteoblast proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method. ALP activity was detected using a relevant assay kit, and bone mineralized nodules were stained with alizarin red-Tris-HCl solution. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Autophagy was observed by MDC staining, and autophagosomes were observed by TEM. Nuclear translocations of LC3 and CHOP were detected by immunofluorescence and observed under a laser confocal microscope. The expression of key proteins related to osteogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy and PI3K/AKT and ER stress pathways was analyzed by Western Blot analysis.

RESULTS

JTG proteins improved osteogenesis as evidenced by the alteration of proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts, inhibited their apoptosis, and enhanced autophagosome formation and autophagy. They also regulated the expression of key proteins of PI3K/AKT and ER stress pathways. In addition, PI3K/AKT and ER stress pathway inhibitors could reverse the regulatory effects of JTG proteins on osteogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy and PI3K/AKT and ER stress pathways.

CONCLUSION

JTG proteins increased the osteogenesis and inhibited osteoblast apoptosis by enhancing autophagy via PI3K/AKT and ER stress signaling pathways.

Machilin D Promotes Apoptosis and Autophagy, and Inhibits Necroptosis in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for about 90% of all head and neck cancers, the prognosis is very poor, and there are no effective targeted therapies. Herein, we isolated Machilin D (Mach), a lignin, from the roots of Saururus chinensis (S. chinensis) and assessed its inhibitory effects on OSCC. Herein, Mach had significant cytotoxicity against human OSCC cells and showed inhibitory effects against cell adhesion, migration, and invasion by inhibiting adhesion molecules, including the FAK/Src pathway. Mach suppressed the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K pathway and MAPKs, leading to apoptotic cell death. We investigated other modes of programmed cell death in these cells and found that Mach increased LC3I/II and Beclin1 and decreased p62, leading to autophagosomes, and suppressed the necroptosis-regulatory proteins RIP1 and MLKL. Our findings provide evidence that the inhibitory effects of Mach against human YD-10B OSCC cells are related to the promotion of apoptosis and autophagy and inhibition of necroptosis and are mediated via focal adhesion molecules.

HOXB13 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by activating AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the sixth most common malignancies worldwide and is accompanied by high mortality. Homeobox B13 (HOXB13) has been shown to be involved in the development of various cancers. This study aimed to investigate the role of HOXB13 in HCC progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression of HOXB13 in HCC tumor tissues was analyzed using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining . After overexpression or downregulation of HOXB13 in HCC cell lines, cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay and Ki67 staining and cell invasion ability were tested by transwell assay. Western blot assay was applied to analyze the effect of HOXB13 on related signaling pathways. In addition, the role of HOXB13 on HCC in vivo was explored using a HCC mouse model. IF and WB were performed to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis and related protein expression in mice tumor tissues.

RESULTS

The results showed that the expression of HOXB13 was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with adjacent tissues and positively correlated with the tumor stage and survival of HCC patients. Overexpression of HOXB13 promoted the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells and up-regulated the protein expression of AKT, mTOR and MMP2. In contrast, the downregulation of HOXB13 resulted in the opposite results. In vivo experiments, HOXB13 significantly promoted tumor growth in mice bearing HCC by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that HOXB13 can facilitate HCC progression by activation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. HOXB13 may be a novel target for HCC therapy.

Trifloroside Induces Bioactive Effects on Differentiation, Adhesion, Migration, and Mineralization in Pre-Osteoblast MC3T3E-1 Cells

Gentianae Scabrae Radix is used in traditional medicine and is known to possess bioactive compounds, including secoiridoid glycosides, flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes. Trifloroside (TriFs) is a secoiridoid glycoside known for its antioxidant activity; however, its other effects have not been studied. In the present study, we investigated the biological effects of TriFs isolated from the roots of Gentianae Scabrae Radix using pre-osteoblast MC3T3E-1 cells. No cellular toxicity was observed with 1 μM TriFs, whereas 5-100 μM TriFs showed a gradual increase in cell viability. Alkaline phosphatase staining and microscopic observations revealed that 1-10 μM TriFs stimulated osteogenic activity during early osteoblast differentiation. Trifloroside also increased mineral apposition during osteoblast maturation. Biochemical analyses revealed that TriFs promoted nuclear RUNX2 expression and localization by stimulating the major osteogenic BMP2-Smad1/5/8-RUNX2 pathway. Trifloroside also increased p-GSK3β, β-catenin, p-JNK, and p-p38, but not Wnt3a, p-AKT, and p-ERK. Moreover, TriFs increased the MMP13 levels and promoted cell migration and adhesion. In contrast, TriFs-induced osteoblast differentiation and maturation had negligible effects on autophagy and necrosis. Our findings suggest that TriFs induces osteogenic effects through differentiation, adhesion, migration, and mineral apposition. Therefore, TriFs is suggested as a potential drug target in osteoblast-mediated bone diseases.

Targeting mTOR as a Cancer Therapy: Recent Advances in Natural Bioactive Compounds and Immunotherapy

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase, which regulates many biological processes related to metabolism, cancer, immune function, and aging. It is an essential protein kinase that belongs to the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) family and has two known signaling complexes, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). Even though mTOR signaling plays a critical role in promoting mitochondria-related protein synthesis, suppressing the catabolic process of autophagy, contributing to lipid metabolism, engaging in ribosome formation, and acting as a critical regulator of mRNA translation, it remains one of the significant signaling systems involved in the tumor process, particularly in apoptosis, cell cycle, and cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, the mTOR signaling system could be suggested as a cancer biomarker, and its targeting is important in anti-tumor therapy research. Indeed, its dysregulation is involved in different types of cancers such as colon, neck, cervical, head, lung, breast, reproductive, and bone cancers, as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Moreover, recent investigations showed that targeting mTOR could be considered as cancer therapy. Accordingly, this review presents an overview of recent developments associated with the mTOR signaling pathway and its molecular involvement in various human cancer types. It also summarizes the research progress of different mTOR inhibitors, including natural and synthetised compounds and their main mechanisms, as well as the rational combinations with immunotherapies.

Suffruticosol B Is an Osteogenic Inducer through Osteoblast Differentiation, Autophagy, Adhesion, and Migration

Suffruticosol B (Suf-B) is a stilbene found in Paeonia suffruticosa ANDR., which has been traditionally used in medicine. Stilbenes and their derivatives possess various pharmacological effects, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoporotic activities. This study aimed to explore the bone-forming activities and mechanisms of Suf-B in pre-osteoblasts. Herein, >99.9% pure Suf-B was isolated from P. suffruticosa methanolic extracts. High concentrations of Suf-B were cytotoxic, whereas low concentrations did not affect cytotoxicity in pre-osteoblasts. Under zero levels of cytotoxicity, Suf-B exhibited bone-forming abilities by enhancing alkaline phosphatase enzyme activities, bone matrix calcification, and expression levels with non-collagenous proteins. Suf-B induces intracellular signal transduction, leading to nuclear RUNX2 expression. Suf-B-stimulated differentiation showed increases in autophagy proteins and autophagosomes, as well as enhancement of osteoblast adhesion and transmigration on the ECM. These results indicate that Suf-B has osteogenic qualities related to differentiation, autophagy, adhesion, and migration. This also suggests that Suf-B could have a therapeutic effect as a phytomedicine in skeletal disorders.

The Impact of Oxidative Stress and AKT Pathway on Cancer Cell Functions and Its Application to Natural Products

Oxidative stress and AKT serine-threonine kinase (AKT) are responsible for regulating several cell functions of cancer cells. Several natural products modulate both oxidative stress and AKT for anticancer effects. However, the impact of natural product-modulating oxidative stress and AKT on cell functions lacks systemic understanding. Notably, the contribution of regulating cell functions by AKT downstream effectors is not yet well integrated. This review explores the role of oxidative stress and AKT pathway (AKT/AKT effectors) on ten cell functions, including apoptosis, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial morphogenesis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, DNA damage response, senescence, migration, and cell-cycle progression. The impact of oxidative stress and AKT are connected to these cell functions through cell function mediators. Moreover, the AKT effectors related to cell functions are integrated. Based on this rationale, natural products with the modulating abilities for oxidative stress and AKT pathway exhibit the potential to regulate these cell functions, but some were rarely reported, particularly for AKT effectors. This review sheds light on understanding the roles of oxidative stress and AKT pathway in regulating cell functions, providing future directions for natural products in cancer treatment.

Effects of Scoparone on differentiation, adhesion, migration, autophagy and mineralization through the osteogenic signalling pathways

Scoparone (SCOP), an active and efficient coumarin compound derived from Artemisia capillaris Thunb, has been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Herein, we investigated the effects of SCOP on the osteogenic processes using MC3T3‐E1 pre‐osteoblasts in in vitro cell systems. SCOP (C₁₁H₁₀O₄, > 99.17%) was purified and identified from A. capillaries. SCOP (0.1 to 100 μM concentrations) did not have cytotoxic effects in pre‐osteoblasts; however, it promoted alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and activity, and mineralized nodule formation under early and late osteogenic induction. SCOP elevated osteogenic signals through the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)‐Smad1/5/8 pathway, leading to the increased expression of runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) with its target protein, matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP13). SCOP also induced the non‐canonical BMP2‐MAPKs pathway, but not the Wnt3a‐β‐catenin pathway. Moreover, SCOP promoted autophagy, migration and adhesion under the osteogenic induction. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrated that SCOP has osteogenic effects associated with cell differentiation, adhesion, migration, autophagy and mineralization.

Elevated mir-145-5p is associated with skeletal muscle dysfunction and triggers apoptotic cell death in C2C12 myotubes

Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a common comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the molecular mechanisms regarding to the pathogenesis of this disease have not been elucidated. In this study, a novel miR-145-5p was significantly upregulated in the serum collected from patients with COPD-associated muscle atrophy, in contrast with the normal participants. Then, we evidenced that silencing of miR-145-5p suppressed cell death and elongated cell survival during cell culture process. Consistently, upregulation of miR-145-5p induced cell apoptosis and restrain cell viability in the C2C12 cells, suggesting that miR-145-5p contributes to cell death. Further experiments evidenced that miR-145-5p decreased the expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), Akt (p-Akt) and mTOR (p-mTOR) to inactivate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and this pathway was also reactivated by miR-145-5p ablation. Finally, we proved that the protective effects of miR-145-5p ablation were abrogated by co-treating cells with PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Taken together, we concluded that miR-145-5p promoted cell death to facilitate muscle dysfunctions via inactivating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.