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Shi H, Chen D, Si J, Zou Q, Guo Y, Yu J, Li C, Wang F. Efficacy and Safety of Oxymatrine in the Treatment of Patients with Erythrodermic Psoriasis. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2024; 14:1659-1670. [PMID: 38796792 PMCID: PMC11169162 DOI: 10.1007/s13555-024-01181-5] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The management of erythrodermic psoriasis (EP), a rare but severe type of psoriasis, is challenging, especially in patients with concomitant chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We previously demonstrated that oxymatrine treatment alleviated severe plaque psoriasis, but its therapeutic potential in treating EP remains unexplored. This study was to assess the efficacy and safety of oxymatrine for the treatment of EP, with attention to concomitant CHB. METHODS In this investigator-initiated clinical trial, four consecutive patients with EP, including two (A and B) with concomitant CHB, were treated with intravenous administration of oxymatrine as monotherapy for 8 weeks, and scheduled to be followed up for a minimum of 24 weeks. The primary outcome was at least 75% improvement in the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI 75) at week 32. Secondary outcomes included the body surface area (BSA) score, dermatology life quality index (DLQI)], and safety. RESULTS Patients A, B, and C achieved PASI 75 at treatment completion and week 32, demonstrating improvements of 77.4%, 97.2%, and 100% in PASI, respectively. Their BSA and DLQI were also improved significantly at week 32 and throughout follow-up of 37, 57, and 105 weeks, respectively. The viral loads in patients A and B with CHB decreased modestly. Patient D discontinued after follow-up for 19 weeks, and the primary outcome could not be analyzed. No adverse events were reported during treatment and follow-up. CONCLUSION Oxymatrine appears to be efficacious and safe for the treatment of patients with EP, including those with concomitant CHB. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ; Registration number ChiCTR-TRC-14004301).
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Shi
- Innovation Team for Skin Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Technology and Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Dermatovenereology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli South Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
- Department of Dermatovenereology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
| | - Dongmei Chen
- Innovation Team for Skin Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Technology and Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Dermatovenereology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli South Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
- Institute of Human Stem Cell Research, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Jiawei Si
- Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Qian Zou
- Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Yatao Guo
- Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Jiayu Yu
- Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Cheng Li
- Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
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He J, Qin W, Jiang S, Lin Y, Lin Y, Yang R, Xu M, Liu Q. Oxymatrine attenuates sepsis-induced inflammation and organ injury via inhibition of HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway. Drug Dev Res 2024; 85:e22219. [PMID: 38845211 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.22219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction that endangers patient lives and is caused by an imbalance in the host defense against infection. Sepsis continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in critically sick patients. Oxymatrine (OMT), a quinolizidine alkaloid derived from the traditional Chinese herb Sophora flavescens Aiton, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on a number of inflammatory illnesses according to research. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of OMT on sepsis and explore the underlying mechanisms. We differentiated THP-1 cells into THP-1 macrophages and studied the anti-inflammatory mechanism of OMT in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced THP-1 macrophage sepsis model. Activation of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), as well as NF-κB, was assessed by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. ELISA was used to measure the levels of inflammatory factors. We found that OMT significantly inhibited HMGB1-mediated RAGE/NF-κB activation and downstream inflammatory cytokine production in response to LPS stimulation. Finally, an in vivo experiment was performed on septic mice to further study the effect of OMT on injured organs. The animal experiments showed that OMT significantly inhibited HMGB1-mediated RAGE/NF-κB activation, protected against the inflammatory response and organ injury induced by CLP, and prolonged the survival rate of septic mice. Herein, we provide evidence that OMT exerts a significant therapeutic effect on sepsis by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junbing He
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Wanbing Qin
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Shusong Jiang
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Yao Lin
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Yingying Lin
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Ruoxuan Yang
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Mingwei Xu
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- Jieyang Medical Research Center, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, China
- Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Clinical Nephrology (Sun Yat-Sen University) and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nephrology, Guangzhou, China
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Wu X, Zheng Q, Shen F, Song J, Luo Y, Fei X, Jiang W, Xie S, Ma X, Kuai L, Wang R, Ding X, Li M, Luo Y, Li B. The therapeutic efficacy and mechanism action of Si Cao formula in the treatment of psoriasis: A pilot clinical investigation and animal validation. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 323:117662. [PMID: 38160866 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Psoriasis is a chronic inflammation and relapsing disease that affected approximately 100 million individuals worldwide. In previous clinical study, it was observed that the topical application of Si Cao Formula (SCF) ameliorated psoriasis skin lesions and reduced the recurrence rate of patients over a period of three months. However, the precise mechanism remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of SCF in patients diagnosed with psoriasis and explore the molecular mechanisms that contribute to SCF's therapeutic efficacy in psoriasis treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS A randomized, controlled, and pilot clinical study was performed. This study assessed 30 individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. 15 of them underwent local SCF treatment, the others received calcipotriol intervention. The outcome measure focused on Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and recurrence rate. In addition, IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mice model were used to assess the impact of SCF on ameliorating epidermal hyperplasia, suppressing angiogenesis, and modulating immune response. Furthermore, we performed bioinformatics analysis on transcriptome data obtained from skin lesions of mice model. This analysis allowed us to identify the targets and signaling pathways associated with the action of SCF. Subsequently, we conducted experimental validation to confirm the core targets. RESULTS Our clinical pilot study demonstrated that SCF could ameliorate skin lesions in psoriasis patients with comparable efficacy of calcipotriol in drop of PASI and DLQI scores. SCF exhibited a significantly reduced recurrence rate within 12 weeks (33.3%). Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) identified 41 active constituents of SCF (26 cations and 15 anions). Animal experiments showed SCF ameliorates the skin lesions of IMQ-induced psoriasis like mice model and suppresses epidermal hyperkeratosis and angiogenesis. There were 845 up-regulated and 764 down-regulated DEGs between IMQ and IMQ + SCF groups. GO analysis revealed that DEGs were linked to keratinization, keratinocyte differentiation, organic acid transport epidermal cell differentiation, and carboxylic acid transport interferon-gamma production. KEGG pathway analysis showed that SCF may play a vital part through IL-17 and JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In addition, SCF could reduce the number of positive cells expressing PCNA, CD31, pSTAT3, CD3, and F4/80 within the epidermis of psoriatic lesions, as well as the expression of Il-17a and Stat3 in IMQ-induced psoriasis mice. CONCLUSIONS Our research suggests that SCF serves as a reliable and efficient local approach for preventing and treating psoriasis. The discovery of plausible molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets associated with SCF may support its broad implementation in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Wu
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Qi Zheng
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Fang Shen
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Jiankun Song
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Yue Luo
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Xiaoya Fei
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Wencheng Jiang
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Shaoqiong Xie
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Xin Ma
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China; Department of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, China
| | - Le Kuai
- Department of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, China; Institute of Dermatology, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ruiping Wang
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China
| | - Xiaojie Ding
- Department of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, China; Institute of Dermatology, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Miao Li
- Department of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, China; Institute of Dermatology, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Department of Dermatology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, China; Institute of Dermatology, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Bin Li
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200443, China; Institute of Dermatology, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Chhabra S, Mehan S, Khan Z, Gupta GD, Narula AS. Matrine mediated neuroprotective potential in experimental multiple sclerosis: Evidence from CSF, blood markers, brain samples and in-silico investigations. J Neuroimmunol 2023; 384:578200. [PMID: 37774554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating, inflammatory, and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Around 2.8 million people worldwide are affected by MS due to its challenging diagnosis and treatment. Our study investigates the role of the JAK/STAT and PPAR-gamma signaling pathways in the progression of multiple sclerosis. Inflammation and demyelination can be caused by dysregulation of these pathways. Modulating the STAT-3, mTOR, and PPAR-gamma signaling pathways may offer therapeutic potential for multiple sclerosis. Matrine (40 and 80 mg/kg, i.p.), a quinolizidine alkaloid derived from Sophora flavescens, has been investigated for its therapeutic potential in our laboratory. Matrine has been studied for its neuroprotective effect in neurodegenerative diseases. It inhibits inflammatory responses and promotes regeneration of damaged myelin sheaths, indicating its potential efficacy in treating multiple sclerosis. Matrine exerts its neuroprotective effect by inhibiting STAT-3 and mTOR and promoting PPAR-gamma expression.GW9662, a PPAR-gamma antagonist (2 mg/kg, i.p.), was administered to evaluate the involvement of PPAR-gamma and to compare the efficacy of matrine's potential neuroprotective effect. Matrine's interaction with the STAT-3, mTOR, and PPAR-gamma pathways in multiple Sclerosis was also validated and confirmed through insilico investigation. In addition, matrine altered the CBC profile, intensifying the clinical presentation of multiple sclerosis. In addition, we evaluated the diagnostic potential of various biological samples, including CSF, blood plasma, and brain homogenates (striatum, cortex, hippocampus, and midbrain). These samples were used to evaluate the neurochemical changes caused by neurobehavioral alterations during the progression of multiple sclerosis. These results indicate that matrine treatment ameliorated multiple sclerosis and that the mechanism underlying these effects may be closely related to the modulation of the STAT-3/mTOR/PPAR-gamma signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swesha Chhabra
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Sidharth Mehan
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India.
| | - Zuber Khan
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | | | - Acharan S Narula
- Narula Research, LLC, 107 Boulder Bluff, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
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Shang W, Ye A, Tong YK. Sub-Cellular Dynamic Analysis of BGC823 Cells after Treatment with the Multi-Component Drug CKI Using Raman Spectroscopy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12750. [PMID: 37628931 PMCID: PMC10454546 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Multi-component drugs (MCDs) can induce various cellular changes covering multiple levels, from molecular and subcellular structure to cell morphology. A "non-invasive" method for comprehensively detecting the dynamic changes of cellular fine structure and chemical components on the subcellular level is highly desirable for MCD studies. In this study, the subcellular dynamic processes of gastric cancer BGC823 cells after treatment with a multi-component drug, Compound Kushen Injection (CKI), were investigated using a homemade, high-resolution, confocal Raman spectroscopy (RS) device combined with bright-field imaging. The Raman spectra of the nucleus, cytoplasm and intracellular vesicles (0.4-1 μm) were collected simultaneously for each cell treated with CKI at different times and doses. The RS measurements showed that CKI decreased the DNA signatures, which the drug is known to inhibit. Meanwhile, the CKI-induced subcellular dynamic changes in the appearance of numerous intracellular vesicles and the deconstruction of cytoplasm components were observed and discussed. The results demonstrated that high-resolution subcellular micro-Raman spectroscopy has potential for detecting fine cellular dynamic variation induced by drugs and the screening of MCDs in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Shang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biomed-X Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Anpei Ye
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biomed-X Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yu-Kai Tong
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Wei S, Zhang Y, Ma X, Yao Y, Zhou Q, Zhang W, Zhou C, Zhuang J. MAT as a promising therapeutic strategy against triple-negative breast cancer via inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12351. [PMID: 37524857 PMCID: PMC10390516 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39655-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive and heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer, lacks effective treatment options. Sophora flavescens Aiton, a Chinese medicinal plant, is often used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cancer. Matrine (MAT) is an alkaloid extracted from Sophora flavescens. It has good anticancer effects, and thus can be explored as a new therapeutic agent in TNBC research. We performed bioinformatics analysis to analyze the differentially expressed genes between normal breast tissues and TNBC tissues, and comprehensive network pharmacology analyses. The activity and invasion ability of TNBC cells treated with MAT were analyzed. Apoptosis and cell cycle progression were determined using cytometry. We used Monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining to determine the condition of autophagosomes. Finally, the expression levels of the key target proteins of the PI3K/AKT pathway were determined using western blotting. The proliferation and invasion ability of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 can be effectively inhibited by MAT. The results of flow cytometry indicated that MAT arrested the TNBC cell cycle and induced apoptosis. In addition, we confirmed that MAT inhibited the expression of BCL-2 while up-regulating the expression of cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, enhanced intensity of MDC staining and high LC3-II expression were observed, which confirmed that MAT induced autophagy in TNBC cells. Western blotting showed that MAT inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway and downregulated the expressions of PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, and PGK1. This study provides feasible methods, which include bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments, for the identification of compounds with anti-TNBC properties. MAT inhibited the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, arrested cell cycle, as well as promoted cell apoptosis and autophagy. These experiments provide evidence for the anti-TNBC effect of MAT and identified potential targets against TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Wei
- Institute of Integrated Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Qingdao Hiser hospital of Qingdao University (Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Yubao Zhang
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Xiaoran Ma
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Yan Yao
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Qinqin Zhou
- Qingdao Academy of Chinese Medicinal Sciences, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao, 266114, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhang
- Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, 261000, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, 261000, China.
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Zhang Y, Huang Y, Li Z, Wu H, Zou B, Xu Y. Exploring Natural Products as Radioprotective Agents for Cancer Therapy: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3585. [PMID: 37509245 PMCID: PMC10377328 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143585] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is an important cancer treatment. However, in addition to killing tumor cells, radiotherapy causes damage to the surrounding cells and is toxic to normal tissues. Therefore, an effective radioprotective agent that prevents the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation is required. Numerous synthetic substances have been shown to have clear radioprotective effects. However, most of these have not been translated for use in clinical applications due to their high toxicity and side effects. Many medicinal plants have been shown to exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. In recent years, new agents obtained from natural products have been investigated by radioprotection researchers, due to their abundance of sources, high efficiency, and low toxicity. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms underlying the radioprotective effects of natural products, including ROS scavenging, promotion of DNA damage repair, anti-inflammatory effects, and the inhibition of cell death signaling pathways. In addition, we systematically review natural products with radioprotective properties, including polyphenols, polysaccharides, alkaloids, and saponins. Specifically, we discuss the polyphenols apigenin, genistein, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, resveratrol, and curcumin; the polysaccharides astragalus, schisandra, and Hohenbuehelia serotina; the saponins ginsenosides and acanthopanax senticosus; and the alkaloids matrine, ligustrazine, and β-carboline. However, further optimization through structural modification, improved extraction and purification methods, and clinical trials are needed before clinical translation. With a deeper understanding of the radioprotective mechanisms involved and the development of high-throughput screening methods, natural products could become promising novel radioprotective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ying Huang
- College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hanyou Wu
- Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Bingwen Zou
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Chhabra S, Mehan S. Matrine exerts its neuroprotective effects by modulating multiple neuronal pathways. Metab Brain Dis 2023; 38:1471-1499. [PMID: 37103719 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-023-01214-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that misfolding, clumping, and accumulation of proteins in the brain may be common causes and pathogenic mechanism for several neurological illnesses. This causes neuronal structural deterioration and disruption of neural circuits. Research from various fields supports this idea, indicating that developing a single treatment for several severe conditions might be possible. Phytochemicals from medicinal plants play an essential part in maintaining the brain's chemical equilibrium by affecting the proximity of neurons. Matrine is a tetracyclo-quinolizidine alkaloid derived from the plant Sophora flavescens Aiton. Matrine has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and various other neurological disorders. Numerous studies have demonstrated that matrine protects neurons by altering multiple signalling pathways and crossing the blood-brain barrier. As a result, matrine may have therapeutic utility in the treatment of a variety of neurocomplications. This work aims to serve as a foundation for future clinical research by reviewing the current state of matrine as a neuroprotective agent and its potential therapeutic application in treating neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric illnesses. Future research will answer many concerns and lead to fascinating discoveries that could impact other aspects of matrine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swesha Chhabra
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Sidharth Mehan
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, 142001, Punjab, India.
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Wang X, Zhang S, Han K, Wang L, Liu X. Induction of Apoptosis by Matrine Derivative ZS17 in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma BEL-7402 and HepG2 Cells through ROS-JNK-P53 Signalling Pathway Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415991. [PMID: 36555631 PMCID: PMC9783520 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415991] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and ranks third among cancer-related deaths worldwide. Using matrine as a lead compound, 12 matrine derivatives were designed and synthesised, and their antiproliferative activities were evaluated in four cancer cell lines. Eight of the twelve compounds showed strong antiproliferative activity, with an IC50 of <10 μM. The compound ZS17 exhibited strong antiproliferative activity in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 3.014−3.388 μM, which was much lower than that of matrine. Furthermore, we explored the role of ZS17 in inducing apoptosis in HCC cells in vitro and in vivo, as well as possible mechanisms involved. ZS17 inhibited the proliferation of BEL-7402 and HepG2 cells in time- and dose-dependent manners. In addition, we found that ZS17 significantly induced apoptosis and ROS (reactive oxygen species) production, promoted JNK phosphorylation, activated p53, and activated the caspase signalling pathway. Furthermore, the antioxidant NAC, JNK inhibitor SP600125, and Si-JNK increased cell viability, re-established cell metastasis, and inhibited ZS17-induced apoptosis. An in vivo antitumour assay demonstrated that ZS17 significantly reduced the number of migrating HepG2 cells in zebrafish embryos and suppressed the growth of HepG2 xenografts in nude mice without any obvious side effects. Our study demonstrated that the ROS-JNK-P53 pathway plays an important role in the destruction of liver tumour cells by ZS17. Thus, ZS17 may represent a promising chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xu Liu
- Correspondence: (L.W.); (X.L.)
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Prenylated Flavonoids in Topical Infections and Wound Healing. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144491. [PMID: 35889363 PMCID: PMC9323352 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The review presents prenylated flavonoids as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of topical skin infections and wounds, as they can restore the balance in the wound microenvironment. A thorough two-stage search of scientific papers published between 2000 and 2022 was conducted, with independent assessment of results by two reviewers. The main criteria were an MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of up to 32 µg/mL, a microdilution/macrodilution broth method according to CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) or EUCAST (European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing), pathogens responsible for skin infections, and additional antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and low cytotoxic effects. A total of 127 structurally diverse flavonoids showed promising antimicrobial activity against pathogens affecting wound healing, predominantly Staphylococcus aureus strains, but only artocarpin, diplacone, isobavachalcone, licochalcone A, sophoraflavanone G, and xanthohumol showed multiple activity, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory along with low cytotoxicity important for wound healing. Although prenylated flavonoids appear to be promising in wound therapy of humans, and also animals, their activity was measured only in vitro and in vivo. Future studies are, therefore, needed to establish rational dosing according to MIC and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration) values, test potential toxicity to human cells, measure healing kinetics, and consider formulation in smart drug release systems and/or delivery technologies to increase their bioavailability.
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11
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The Effects of Qinghao-Kushen and Its Active Compounds on the Biological Characteristics of Liver Cancer Cells. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:8763510. [PMID: 35722140 PMCID: PMC9205744 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8763510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background and Aims. Artemisia annua (Qinghao) and Sophora flavescens (Kushen) are traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). They are widely used in disease therapy, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, their key compounds and targets for HCC treatment are unclear. This article mainly analyzed the vital active compounds and the mechanism of Qinghao-Kushen acting on HCC. Methods. First, we chose a traditional Chinese medicine, which has an excellent clinical effect on HCC by network meta-analysis. Then, we composed the Qinghao-Kushen herb pair and prepared the medicated serum. The active compounds of Qinghao-Kushen were verified by the LC-MS method. Next, we detected key targets from PubChem, SymMap, SwissTargetPrediction, DisGeNET, and GeneCards databases. Subsequently, the mechanism of Qinghao-Kushen was predicted by network pharmacology strategy and primarily examined in HuH-7 cells, HepG2 cells, and HepG2215 cells. Results. The effect of the Qinghao-Kushen combination was significantly better than that of single Qinghao or single Kushen in HepG2 and HuH-7 cells. Qinghao-Kushen increased the expression of activated caspase-3 protein than Qinghao or Kushen alone in HepG2 and HepG2215 cells. Network analyses and the LC-MS method revealed that the pivotal compounds of Qinghao-Kushen were matrine and scopoletin. GSK-3β was one of the critical molecules related to Qinghao-Kushen. We confirmed that Qinghao-Kushen and matrine-scopoletin decreased the expression of GSK-3β in HepG2 cells while increased GSK-3β expression in HepG2215 cells. Conclusions. This work not only illustrated that the practical components of Qinghao-Kushen on HCC were matrine and scopoletin but shed light on the inhibitory of Qinghao-Kushen and matrine-scopoletin on liver cancer cells. Moreover, Qinghao-Kushen and matrine-scopoletin had a synergistic effect over the drug alone in HuH-7, HepG2, or HepG2215 cells. GSK-3β may be a potential target for HCC therapy.
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12
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Zhou W, Wu C, Zhao C, Huang Z, Lu S, Fan X, Tan Y, Stalin A, You R, Liu X, Zhang J, Wu Z, Wu J. An Advanced Systems Pharmacology Strategy Reveals AKR1B1, MMP2, PTGER3 as Key Genes in the Competing Endogenous RNA Network of Compound Kushen Injection Treating Gastric Carcinoma by Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Verification. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:742421. [PMID: 34646828 PMCID: PMC8502965 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.742421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric carcinoma (GC) is a severe tumor of the digestive tract with high morbidity and mortality and poor prognosis, for which novel treatment options are urgently needed. Compound Kushen injection (CKI), a classical injection of Chinese medicine, has been widely used to treat various tumors in clinical practice for decades. In recent years, a growing number of studies have confirmed that CKI has a beneficial therapeutic effect on GC, However, there are few reports on the potential molecular mechanism of action. Here, using systems pharmacology combined with proteomics analysis as a core concept, we identified the ceRNA network, key targets and signaling pathways regulated by CKI in the treatment of GC. To further explore the role of these key targets in the development of GC, we performed a meta-analysis to compare the expression differences between GC and normal gastric mucosa tissues. Functional enrichment analysis was further used to understand the biological pathways significantly regulated by the key genes. In addition, we determined the significance of the key genes in the prognosis of GC by survival analysis and immune infiltration analysis. Finally, molecular docking simulation was performed to verify the combination of CKI components and key targets. The anti-gastric cancer effect of CKI and its key targets was verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. The analysis of ceRNA network of CKI on GC revealed that the potential molecular mechanism of CKI can regulate PI3K/AKT and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways by interfering with hub genes such as AKR1B1, MMP2 and PTGERR3. In conclusion, this study not only partially highlighted the molecular mechanism of CKI in GC therapy but also provided a novel and advanced systems pharmacology strategy to explore the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chongjun Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihong Huang
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Lu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotian Fan
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yingying Tan
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Antony Stalin
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rongli You
- Shanxi Zhendong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanxi, China
| | - Xinkui Liu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhishan Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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13
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Zhang S, Gui X, Ding Y, Tong H, Ju W, Li Y, Li Z, Zeng L, Xu K, Qiao J. Matrine Impairs Platelet Function and Thrombosis and Inhibits ROS Production. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:717725. [PMID: 34366869 PMCID: PMC8339414 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.717725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Matrine is a naturally occurring alkaloid and possesses a wide range of pharmacological properties, such as anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether it affects platelet function and thrombosis remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the effect of matrine on platelet function and thrombus formation. Human platelets were treated with matrine (0–1 mg/ml) for 1 h at 37°C followed by measuring platelet aggregation, granule secretion, receptor expression by flow cytometry, spreading and clot retraction. In addition, matrine (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into mice to measure tail bleeding time, arterial and venous thrombus formation. Matrine dose-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation and ATP release in response to either collagen-related peptide (Collagen-related peptide, 0.1 μg/ml) or thrombin (0.04 U/mL) stimulation without altering the expression of P-selectin, glycoprotein Ibα, GPVI, or αIIbβ3. In addition, matrine-treated platelets presented significantly decreased spreading on fibrinogen or collagen and clot retraction along with reduced phosphorylation of c-Src. Moreover, matrine administration significantly impaired the in vivo hemostatic function of platelets, arterial and venous thrombus formation. Furthermore, in platelets stimulated with CRP or thrombin, matrine significantly reduced Reactive oxygen species generation, inhibited the phosphorylation level of ERK1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204), p38 (Thr180/Tyr182) and AKT (Thr308/Ser473) as well as increased VASP phosphorylation (Ser239) and intracellular cGMP level. In conclusion, matrine inhibits platelet function, arterial and venous thrombosis, possibly involving inhibition of ROS generation, suggesting that matrine might be used as an antiplatelet agent for treating thrombotic or cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixuan Zhang
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiang Gui
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yangyang Ding
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Huan Tong
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Wen Ju
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yue Li
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Lingyu Zeng
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China.,School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Kailin Xu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jianlin Qiao
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, Xuzhou, China
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14
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Chen MH, Gu YY, Zhang AL, Sze DMY, Mo SL, May BH. Biological effects and mechanisms of matrine and other constituents of Sophora flavescens in colorectal cancer. Pharmacol Res 2021; 171:105778. [PMID: 34298110 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The plant Sophora flavescens Ait. has been used in the clinical management of colorectal cancer (CRC). Its constituent compounds, notably the alkaloids matrine, oxymatrine, and sophoridine, have received considerable research attention in experimental models of CRC in vivo and in vitro. This review found that extracts of S. flavescens and/or its constituent compounds have been reported to inhibit CRC cell proliferation by inducing cell-cycle arrest at the G1 phase, inducing apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway, interfering in cancer metabolism, inhibiting metastasis and angiogenesis, regulating senescence and telomeres, regulating the tumour microenvironment and down-regulating cancer-related inflammation. In addition, matrine and oxymatrine reversed multi-drug resistance and enhanced the effects of chemotherapies. These anti-cancer effects were associated with regulation of several cellular signalling pathways including: MAPK/ERK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, p38MAPK, NF-κB, Hippo/LATS2, TGF-β/Smad, JAK/STAT3, RhoA/ROC, and Wnt/ β-catenin pathways. These multiple actions in CRC suggest the alkaloids of S. flavescens may be therapeutic candidates for CRC management. Nevertheless, there remains considerable scope for future research into its flavonoid constituents, the effects of combinations of compounds, and the interaction between these compounds and anti-cancer drugs. In addition, more research is needed to investigate likely drug ligand-receptor interactions for each of the bioactive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Hua Chen
- School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
| | - Yue-Yu Gu
- The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Anthony Lin Zhang
- School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
| | - Daniel Man-Yuen Sze
- School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
| | - Sui-Lin Mo
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Brian H May
- School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
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15
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Wei G, Chen Y, Guo X, Wei J, Dong L, Chen S. Biosyntheses characterization of alkaloids and flavonoids in Sophora flavescens by combining metabolome and transcriptome. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7388. [PMID: 33795823 PMCID: PMC8016917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sophora flavescens are widely used for their pharmacological effects. As its main pharmacological components, alkaloids and flavonoids are distributed in the root tissues wherein molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, metabolite profiles are analyzed using metabolomes to obtain biomarkers detected in different root tissues. These biomarkers include alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, and flavonoids. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis results indicate the differences in principal component contents. Oxymatrine, sophoridine, and matrine contents are the highest in the phloem, whereas trifolirhizin, maackiain, and kushenol I contents are the highest in the xylem. The transcript expression profiles also show tissue specificity in the roots. A total of 52 and 39 transcripts involved in alkaloid and flavonoid syntheses are found, respectively. Among them, the expression levels of LYSA1, LYSA2, AO2, AO6, PMT1, PMT17, PMT34, and PMT35 transcripts are highly and positively correlated with alkaloids contents. The expression levels of 4CL1, 4CL3, 4CL12, CHI5, CHI7, and CHI9 transcripts are markedly and positively correlated with flavonoids contents. Moreover, the quantitative profiles of alkaloids and flavonoids are provided, and the pivotal genes regulating their distribution in S. flavescens are determined. These results contribute to the existing data for the genetic improvement and target breeding of S. flavescens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Yongzhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Xiaotong Guo
- College of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Jianhe Wei
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Conservation and Development of Southern Medicine, Hainan Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Haikou, 570311, China
| | - Linlin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Shilin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
- , No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing, 100700, China.
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16
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Schultz CJ, Goonetilleke SN, Liang J, Lahnstein J, Levin KA, Bianco-Miotto T, Burton RA, Mather DE, Chalmers KJ. Analysis of Genetic Diversity in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Plant 'Kushen' ( Sophora flavescens Ait.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:704201. [PMID: 34413868 PMCID: PMC8369264 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.704201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Kushen root, from the woody legume Sophora flavescens, is a traditional Chinese medicine that is a key ingredient in several promising cancer treatments. This activity is attributed in part to two quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs), oxymatrine and matrine, that have a variety of therapeutic activities in vitro. Genetic selection is needed to adapt S. flavescens for cultivation and to improve productivity and product quality. Genetic diversity of S. flavescens was investigated using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) on 85 plants grown from seeds collected from 9 provinces of China. DArTSeq provided over 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, 1636 of which were used in phylogenetic analysis to reveal clear regional differences for S. flavescens. One accession from each region was selected for PCR-sequencing to identify gene-specific SNPs in the first two QA pathway genes, lysine decarboxylase (LDC) and copper amine oxidase (CAO). To obtain SfCAO sequence for primer design we used a targeted transcript capture and assembly strategy using publicly available RNA sequencing data. Partial gene sequence analysis of SfCAO revealed two recently duplicated genes, SfCAO1 and SfCAO2, in contrast to the single gene found in the QA-producing legume Lupinus angustifolius. We demonstrate high efficiency converting SNPs to Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers developing 27 new KASP markers, 17 from DArTSeq data, 7 for SfLDC, and 3 for SfCAO1. To complement this genetic diversity analysis a field trial site has been established in South Australia, providing access to diverse S. flavescens material for morphological, transcriptomic, and QA metabolite analysis. Analysis of dissected flower buds revealed that anthesis occurs before buds fully open suggesting a potential for S. flavescens to be an inbreeding species, however this is not supported by the relatively high level of heterozygosity observed. Two plants from the field trial site were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR and levels of matrine and oxymatrine were assessed in a variety of tissues. We are now in a strong position to select diverse plants for crosses to accelerate the process of genetic selection needed to adapt kushen to cultivation and improve productivity and product quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J. Schultz
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Shashi N. Goonetilleke
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jianping Liang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Liang,
| | - Jelle Lahnstein
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kara A. Levin
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Tina Bianco-Miotto
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Rachel A. Burton
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Diane E. Mather
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kenneth J. Chalmers
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Kenneth J. Chalmers,
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17
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Zhou W, Wu J, Zhang J, Liu X, Guo S, Jia S, Zhang X, Zhu Y, Wang M. Integrated bioinformatics analysis to decipher molecular mechanism of compound Kushen injection for esophageal cancer by combining WGCNA with network pharmacology. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12745. [PMID: 32728182 PMCID: PMC7391752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Compound Kushen injection (CKI), a medicine in widespread clinical use in China, has proven therapeutic effects on cancer. However, few molecular mechanism analyses have been carried out. To address this problem, bioinformatics approaches combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis with network pharmacology methods were undertaken to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of CKI in the treatment of esophageal cancer (ESCA). First, the key gene modules related to the clinical traits of ESCA were analysed by WCGNA. Based on the results, the hub genes related to CKI treatment for ESCA were explored through network pharmacology. Molecular docking simulation was performed to recognize the binding activity of hub genes with CKI compounds. The results showed that the potential hub targets, including EGFR, ErbB2, CCND1 and IGF1R, are therapeutic targets of CKI for the treatment of ESCA. Moreover, these targets were significantly enriched in many pathways related to cancer and signalling pathways, such as the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and ErbB signalling pathway. In conclusion, this research partially highlighted the molecular mechanism of CKI in the treatment of ESCA, offering great potential in the identification of the effective compounds in CKI and biomarkers for ESCA treatment.
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MESH Headings
- Algorithms
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Computational Biology/methods
- Cyclin D1/chemistry
- Cyclin D1/metabolism
- Databases, Genetic
- Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry
- Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology
- ErbB Receptors/chemistry
- ErbB Receptors/metabolism
- Esophageal Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Esophageal Neoplasms/genetics
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Gene Regulatory Networks/drug effects
- Humans
- Kaplan-Meier Estimate
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Docking Simulation
- Receptor, ErbB-2/chemistry
- Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism
- Receptor, IGF Type 1/chemistry
- Receptor, IGF Type 1/metabolism
- Sequence Analysis, RNA
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Jiarui Wu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China.
| | - Jingyuan Zhang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Xinkui Liu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Siyu Guo
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - ShanShan Jia
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Xiaomeng Zhang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Yingli Zhu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
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18
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Sauter ER. Cancer prevention and treatment using combination therapy with natural compounds. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2020; 13:265-285. [PMID: 32154753 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2020.1738218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Naturally occurring compounds play an essential role in the prevention and treatment of various cancers. There are more than 100 plant and animal based natural compounds currently in clinical use.Areas covered: 1) The importance of natural products combinations in the prevention and treatment of cancer, 2) the need to maximize efficacy while minimizing side effects when using natural product combinations, and 3) specifics related to plant and animal derived natural products, as well as agents derived from natural products. Therapies using natural compounds that have been investigated, their rationale, mechanism of action and findings are reviewed. When the data warrant it, combined interventions that appear to increase efficacy (compared with monotherapy) while minimizing toxicity have been highlighted. Pubmed was used to search for relevant publications.Expert opinion: Combination therapy with natural compounds has the potential to be more effective than single agent therapy. Similar to pharmacologic agents, the goal is to maximize efficacy while mimimizing potential side effects. There is an increasing research focus on the development of agents derived from natural products, with notable successes already achieved from the effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward R Sauter
- Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
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19
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Cao X, He Q. Anti-Tumor Activities of Bioactive Phytochemicals in Sophora flavescens for Breast Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:1457-1467. [PMID: 32161498 PMCID: PMC7051174 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s243127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors are frequent users of botanicals and their bioactive phytochemicals. In China, active ingredients in Sophora flavescens like matrine (MT), oxymatrine (OMT), other Sophora flavescens alkaloids and Compound Kushen Injection (CKI) are extensively used for multiple malignant tumors. In vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed that these activities or injection have significant effects on relieving symptoms, alleviating side effects after chemotherapy and improving the quality of life of breast cancer patients, where there is evidence for efficacy. A large number of experimental studies have also revealed that they can inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells according to different mechanisms. This provides promising valuable supportive therapies for prevention, treatment and postoperative recovery of breast cancer. Rigorous clinical research and experimental studies reflect integrative care as it is used in hospital is needed to responsibly move this field forward. This review summarizes an up to date knowledge of the available bioactive phytochemicals, their discovery, current clinical and experimental status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjiao Cao
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250011, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingqing He
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The 960th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Jinan, Shandong 250031, People's Republic of China
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20
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The Fruit Malus prunifolia ( Malus micromalus Mak.): A Minireview of Current Knowledge of Fruit Composition and Health Benefits. J CHEM-NY 2020. [DOI: 10.1155/2020/2418626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The fruit Malus prunifolia (Malus micromalus Mak.), which belongs to the Rosaceae family, grows mostly in the upper-middle reaches of the Yellow River area. It has long been popular as a fruit commodity and as a natural remedy. Its main biologically active components include vitamin C, phenolics, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenic acids. Recent phytochemical studies on the fruit have shed some light on its biological activities, such as anticancer, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, immunostimulating, hepatoprotective, and gastrointestinal protective activities. A stronger focus on clinical studies and phytochemical characterization of the fruit will be essential for future research efforts. This minireview could be useful for predicting its other medicinal uses and its potential drug or food interactions, and it could be beneficial for people living in areas where the fruit is endemic and where healthcare resources are scarce.
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21
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Abstract
As a double-edged sword, autophagy in cancer cells could either suppress or promote tumorigenesis. Nowadays, more and more natural compounds with autophagy-regulating activities exhibit therapeutic effects against various cancers. N-Heterocycle derivatives plays an important role for discovery new drugs. In this review, we summarize and classify 116 N-heterocycle derivatives with autophagy-regulating activities in the past decade into 12 classes according to structure characteristics. The structural features, bioactivities, mechanism and problems faced in this field are discussed and reported for the first time. Some of these even exhibited outstanding in vivo antitumor activities, including bisaminoquinoline (3), pancratistatin (8), 10-hydroxyevodiamine (18), lycorine (28), piperine (31) and iridium (III) complex (57), which are potential drug candidates for antitumor therapy.
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22
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Chen H, Yang J, Hao J, Lv Y, Chen L, Lin Q, Yuan J, Yang X. A Novel Flavonoid Kushenol Z from Sophora flavescens Mediates mTOR Pathway by Inhibiting Phosphodiesterase and Akt Activity to Induce Apoptosis in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24244425. [PMID: 31817093 PMCID: PMC6943755 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The roots of Sophora flavescens (SF) are clinically used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various lung diseases. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which SF inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. A new compound, kushenol Z (KZ), and 14 known flavonoids were isolated from SF. KZ, sophoraflavanone G, and kushenol A demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against NSCLC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner; KZ showed a wide therapeutic window. We also found that KZ induced NSCLC cell apoptosis by increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and by activating caspase-3 and caspase-9 leading to mitochondrial apoptosis, and upregulated CHOP and activatedcaspase-7 and caspase-12, which triggered the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway. After KZ treatment, we observed cAMP accumulation, which reflected the inhibition of cAMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE), along with the increase in PKA activity; additionally, phospho-p70 S6 kinase was downregulated. KZ also attenuated the phosphorylation of Akt and PRAS40, which was partially rescued by an Akt activator. This suggested that KZ mediated the antiproliferative activity in NSCLC cells by inhibiting the mTOR pathway through the inhibition of cAMP-PDE and Akt. These findings suggested that KZ may be used as a promising cAMP-PDE and Akt inhibitor in targeted chemotherapeutic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Guangxi Scientific Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530001, China;
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; (J.Y.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (Q.L.)
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Jie Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; (J.Y.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (Q.L.)
| | - Ji Hao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; (J.Y.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (Q.L.)
| | - Yibing Lv
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; (J.Y.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (Q.L.)
| | - Lu Chen
- Guangxi Institute of Medicinal Plant, Nanning 530023, China;
| | - Qinxiong Lin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; (J.Y.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (Q.L.)
| | - Jingquan Yuan
- Guangxi Scientific Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530001, China;
- Correspondence: (J.Y.); (X.Y.); Tel./Fax: +86-771-394-6492 (J.Y.); +86-27-6784-1196 (X.Y.)
| | - Xinzhou Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; (J.Y.); (J.H.); (Y.L.); (Q.L.)
- Correspondence: (J.Y.); (X.Y.); Tel./Fax: +86-771-394-6492 (J.Y.); +86-27-6784-1196 (X.Y.)
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23
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Molecular Mechanism of Matrine from Sophora alopecuroides in the Reversing Effect of Multi-Anticancer Drug Resistance in K562/ADR Cells. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:1269532. [PMID: 31871929 PMCID: PMC6906886 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1269532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance is the main obstacle to current chemotherapies. In this study, we evaluated the reversing effect of matrine, the principal alkaloid derived from Sophora alopecuroides, on chemoresistant leukemia K562/ADR cells. Matrine in a range of the nontoxic concentration was employed in the whole study. IC50s of cancer medicines were tested using WST-8 assay. Drug export and apoptotic rates were examined using flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expressions were quantified by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting, respectively. Our data indicated that matrine had potent reversal properties augmenting cytotoxicity of cancer medicines on K562/ADR cells as well as apoptotic rates induced by doxorubicin. Moreover, matrine inhibited drug-exporting activity and expression of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) on both mRNA and protein levels. That might result from inhibited NF-kappa B activation, which also led to restored intrinsic apoptosis. These findings suggest that matrine in the nontoxic concentration can suppress ABCB1 drug transport and facilitate the intrinsic apoptosis pathway through the inhibiting effect on NF-kappa B and has the potential to become an efficient sensitizer for anticancer drug resistance.
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24
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Matrine inhibits the development and progression of ovarian cancer by repressing cancer associated phosphorylation signaling pathways. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:770. [PMID: 31601793 PMCID: PMC6787190 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-2013-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecologic malignancy with late detection and acquired chemoresistance. Advanced understanding of the pathophysiology and novel treatment strategies are urgently required. A growing body of proteomic investigations suggest that phosphorylation has a pivotal role in the regulation of ovarian cancer associated signaling pathways. Matrine has been extensively studied for its potent anti-tumor activities. However, its effect on ovarian cancer cells and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Herein we showed that matrine treatment inhibited the development and progression of ovarian cancer cells by regulating proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, invasion and angiogenesis. Matrine treatment retarded the cancer associated signaling transduction by decreasing the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, MEK1/2, PI3K, Akt, mTOR, FAK, RhoA, VEGFR2, and Tie2 in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, matrine showed excellent antitumor effect on chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells. No obvious toxic side effects were observed in matrine-administrated mice. As the natural agent, matrine has the potential to be the targeting drug against ovarian cancer cells with the advantages of overcoming the chemotherapy resistance and decreasing the toxic side effects.
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25
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Kwon M, Ko SK, Jang M, Kim GH, Ryoo IJ, Son S, Ryu HW, Oh SR, Lee WK, Kim BY, Jang JH, Ahn JS. Inhibitory effects of flavonoids isolated from Sophora flavescens on indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 activity. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2019; 34:1481-1488. [PMID: 31423846 PMCID: PMC6713164 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2019.1640218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), a tryptophan catabolising enzyme, is known as a tumour cell survival factor that causes immune escape in several types of cancer. Flavonoids of Sophora flavescens have a variety of biological benefits for humans; however, cancer immunotherapy effect has not been fully investigated. The flavonoids (1-6) isolated from S. flavescens showed IDO1 inhibitory activities (IC50 4.3-31.4 µM). The representative flavonoids (4-6) of S. flavescens were determined to be non-competitive inhibitors of IDO1 by kinetic analyses. Their binding affinity to IDO1 was confirmed using thermal stability and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. The molecular docking analysis and mutagenesis assay revealed the structural details of the interactions between the flavonoids (1-6) and IDO1. These results suggest that the flavonoids (1-6) of S. flavescens, especially kushenol E (6), as IDO1 inhibitors might be useful in the development of immunotherapeutic agents against cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mincheol Kwon
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea.,Department of Biomolecular Science, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology , Daejeon , Korea
| | - Sung-Kyun Ko
- Natural Medicine Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Mina Jang
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea.,Department of Biomolecular Science, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology , Daejeon , Korea
| | - Gun-Hee Kim
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - In-Ja Ryoo
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Sangkeun Son
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Hyung Won Ryu
- Natural Medicine Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Sei-Ryang Oh
- Natural Medicine Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Won-Kyu Lee
- New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Bo Yeon Kim
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea.,Department of Biomolecular Science, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology , Daejeon , Korea
| | - Jae-Hyuk Jang
- Department of Biomolecular Science, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology , Daejeon , Korea.,Natural Medicine Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea
| | - Jong Seog Ahn
- Anticancer Agent Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology , Cheongju , Korea.,Department of Biomolecular Science, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology , Daejeon , Korea
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26
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Wang R, Liu H, Shao Y, Wang K, Yin S, Qiu Y, Wu H, Liu E, Wang T, Gao X, Yu H. Sophoridine Inhibits Human Colorectal Cancer Progression via Targeting MAPKAPK2. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:2469-2479. [DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-19-0553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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27
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Groma G. Oxymatrine may represent an additional therapeutic tool in severe plaque psoriasis management. Br J Dermatol 2019; 181:891-892. [PMID: 31390049 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.18299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G Groma
- University of Szeged, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Dermatological Research Group, Szeged, Hungary
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28
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Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 Activities by Sophora flavescens Extract and Its Prenylated Flavonoids in Human Liver Microsomes. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:2673769. [PMID: 31001351 PMCID: PMC6436327 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2673769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Sophora flavescens possesses several pharmacological properties and has been widely used for the treatment of diarrhea, inflammation, abscess, dysentery, and fever in East Asian countries. S. flavescens is a major source of prenylated flavonoids, such as sophoraflavone and kushenol. In this study, we examined the effects of S. flavescens extract and its prenylated flavonoids on cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoform activity in human liver microsomes. The extract inhibited CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A activities, with IC50 values of 1.42, 13.6, 19.1, and 50 µg/mL, respectively. CYP2B6 was only inhibited in human liver microsomes preincubated with the extract. CYP3A4 was more strongly inhibited by the extract in the presence of NADPH, suggesting that the extract may inhibit CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 via mechanism-based inactivation. Prenylated flavonoids also inhibited CYP isoforms with different selectivity and modes of action. Kushenol I, leachianone A, and sophoraflavone G inhibited CYP2B6, whereas kushenol C, kushenol I, kushenol M, leachianone A, and sophoraflavone G inhibited CYP3A4 via mechanism-based inhibition. Our results suggest that S. flavescens may contribute to herb–drug interactions when coadministered with drugs metabolized by CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, and CYP3A4.
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Matrine alleviates Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid-induced endometritis via suppression of TLR2-mediated NF-κB activation. Int Immunopharmacol 2019; 70:201-207. [PMID: 30822611 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Endometritis is one of the main diseases that causes great economic losses in the dairy industry. Recent studies have shown that matrine extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Sophora flavescens is an alkaloid with a broad range of bioactivities. Here, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of matrine on Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-induced endometritis in mice and elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms in vitro. Histopathological changes showed that matrine remarkably attenuated the uterus injury in a mouse model of LTA-induced endometritis. qPCR and ELISA results showed that matrine dose-dependently reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β). To further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this protective effect of matrine, LTA-stimulated bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs) were employed in this study. The results demonstrated that TLR2 expression and its downstream nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation were both suppressed by matrine treatment. Furthermore, a small interference RNA targeting TLR2 gene mimicked matrine in its inhibition on LTA-induced activation of TLR2 and NF-κB. In conclusion, these findings suggest the protective effect of matrine against LTA-induced endometritis through negative regulation of TLR2-mediated NF-κB pathway.
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30
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Cui J, Qu Z, Harata-Lee Y, Nwe Aung T, Shen H, Wang W, Adelson DL. Cell cycle, energy metabolism and DNA repair pathways in cancer cells are suppressed by Compound Kushen Injection. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:103. [PMID: 30678652 PMCID: PMC6345000 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-5230-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this report we examine candidate pathways perturbed by Compound Kushen Injection (CKI), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that we have previously shown to alter the gene expression patterns of multiple pathways and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. METHODS We have measured protein levels in Hep G2 and MDA-MB-231 cells for genes in the cell cycle pathway, DNA repair pathway and DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) previously shown to have altered expression by CKI. We have also examined energy metabolism by measuring [ADP]/[ATP] ratio (cell energy charge), lactate production and glucose consumption. Our results demonstrate that CKI can suppress protein levels for cell cycle regulatory proteins and DNA repair while increasing the level of DSBs. We also show that energy metabolism is reduced based on reduced glucose consumption and reduced cellular energy charge. RESULTS Our results validate these pathways as important targets for CKI. We also examined the effect of the major alkaloid component of CKI, oxymatrine and determined that it had no effect on DSBs, a small effect on the cell cycle and increased the cell energy charge. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that CKI likely acts through the effect of multiple compounds on multiple targets where the observed phenotype is the integration of these effects and synergistic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Cui
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
| | - Yuka Harata-Lee
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
| | - Thazin Nwe Aung
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
| | - Hanyuan Shen
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
| | - Wei Wang
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Research Institute, Shanxi-Zhendong Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - David L. Adelson
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
- Zhendong Australia - China Centre for Molecular Chinese Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005 South Australia Australia
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31
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Jung YY, Shanmugam MK, Narula AS, Kim C, Lee JH, Namjoshi OA, Blough BE, Sethi G, Ahn KS. Oxymatrine Attenuates Tumor Growth and Deactivates STAT5 Signaling in a Lung Cancer Xenograft Model. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11010049. [PMID: 30621055 PMCID: PMC6356594 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxymatrine (OMT) is a major alkaloid found in radix Sophorae flavescentis extract and has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological activities. We elucidated the detailed molecular mechanism(s) underlying the therapeutic actions of OMT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and a xenograft mouse model. Because the STAT5 signaling cascade has a significant role in regulating cell proliferation and survival in tumor cells, we hypothesized that OMT may disrupt this signaling cascade to exert its anticancer effects. We found that OMT can inhibit the constitutive activation of STAT5 by suppressing the activation of JAK1/2 and c-Src, nuclear localization, as well as STAT5 binding to DNA in A549 cells and abrogated IL-6-induced STAT5 phosphorylation in H1299 cells. We also report that a sub-optimal concentration of OMT when used in combination with a low dose of paclitaxel produced significant anti-cancer effects by inhibiting cell proliferation and causing substantial apoptosis. In a preclinical lung cancer mouse model, OMT when used in combination with paclitaxel produced a significant reduction in tumor volume. These results suggest that OMT in combination with paclitaxel can cause an attenuation of lung cancer growth both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Yun Jung
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Muthu K Shanmugam
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | | | - Chulwon Kim
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
- Comorbidity Research Institute, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Jong Hyun Lee
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
- Comorbidity Research Institute, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
| | - Ojas A Namjoshi
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC 27616, USA.
| | - Bruce E Blough
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC 27616, USA.
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
| | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
- Comorbidity Research Institute, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
- Department of Korean Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea.
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32
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Ao M, Xiao X, Li Q. Efficacy and safety of compound Kushen injection combined with chemotherapy on postoperative Patients with breast cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019; 98:e14024. [PMID: 30653109 PMCID: PMC6370033 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000014024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This meta-analysis aimed to assess efficacy and safety of combination of Kushen and chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone among postoperative patients with breast cancer receiving. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted for relevant randomized controlled trials from 2000 to July 2017. Primary outcomes were clinical response rate (CRR) and performance status improvement by Karnofsky performance scale score (KPSS); secondary outcomes were adverse drug reactions (ADRs) rate and tumor marker decrease rate. Quality assessment and data analysis were performed with Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS A total of 16 studies with 1315 participants were included in the analysis. Compared with chemotherapy alone, compound Kushen injection (CKI or KI) combined with chemotherapy did not significant increase CRR. However, performance status improvement rate was significantly higher among patients given Kushen injection combined with chemotherapy (relative risk 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.42, P = .001). In the analysis of ADRs, combination of Kushen and chemotherapy was indicated to significantly reduce the rate liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, platelet decrease, and oral mucositis. CONCLUSION Using CKI on the basis of chemotherapy might improve performance status and reduce ADRs among postoperative patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xu Xiao
- Pharmacology Department, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical School of Hebei Province, China
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33
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Falcão MAP, de Souza LS, Dolabella SS, Guimarães AG, Walker CIB. Zebrafish as an alternative method for determining the embryo toxicity of plant products: a systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:35015-35026. [PMID: 30357668 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3399-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The toxicological assessment of plant products and pharmaceutical chemicals is a necessary requirement to ensure that all compounds are safe to be exposed to humans. Many countries are trying to reduce the use of animals; thus, alternative techniques, such as ex vivo tests, in vitro assays, and ex uteri embryos, are used. Toxicological assays using zebrafish embryos are an advantageous technique because they are transparent, have rapid embryonic development, and do not require invasive techniques. This paper comprehensively reviews how toxicity testing with plant products is conducted in zebrafish embryos. The search terms zebra fish, Danio rerio, zebrafish, zebra danio, Brachydanio rerio, zebrafish, and embryos were used to search for English-language articles in PUBMED, SCOPUS, and WEB OF SCIENCE. Twelve articles on plant product toxicity studies using zebrafish were selected for reading and analysis. After analyzing the articles and comparing with results in mammals, it was possible to prove the similarity among the results and thus corroborate the further development of zebrafish as a valid tool in toxicity tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alice Pimentel Falcão
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacological Studies, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n - Jardim Rosa Elze, São Cristóvão, SE, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Lucas Santos de Souza
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacological Studies, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n - Jardim Rosa Elze, São Cristóvão, SE, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Silvio Santana Dolabella
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Tropical Entomology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Sergipe, Sâo Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Adriana Gibara Guimarães
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Pharmacological Assays, Department of Health Education, Federal University of Sergipe, Lagarto, SE, Brazil
| | - Cristiani Isabel Banderó Walker
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacological Studies, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n - Jardim Rosa Elze, São Cristóvão, SE, 49100-000, Brazil.
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34
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Guo S, Chen Y, Pang C, Wang X, Shi S, Zhang H, An H, Zhan Y. Matrine is a novel inhibitor of the TMEM16A chloride channel with antilung adenocarcinoma effects. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:8698-8708. [PMID: 30370542 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are ion channels with key roles in physiological processes. They are abnormally expressed in various cancers, including esophageal squamous cell cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The CaCC component TMEM16A/ANO1 was recently shown to be overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma cells and may serve as a tumorigenic protein. In this study, we determined that matrine is a potent TMEM16A inhibitor that exerts anti-lung adenocarcinoma effects. Patch clamp experiments showed that matrine inhibited TMEM16A current in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC 50 of 27.94 ± 4.78 μM. Molecular simulation and site-directed mutation experiments demonstrated that the matrine-sensitive sites of the TMEM16A channel involve the amino acids Y355, F411, and F415. Results of cell viability and wound healing assays showed that matrine significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of LA795 cells, which exhibit high TMEM16A expression. In contrast, matrine has only weak inhibitory effect on CCD-19Lu and HeLa cells lacking TMEM16A expression. Matrine-induced effects on the proliferation and migration of LA795 cells were abrogated upon shRNA-mediated TMEM16A knockdown in LA795 cells. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that matrine dramatically inhibited the growth of lung adenocarcinoma xenograft tumors in mice but did not affect mouse body weight. Collectively, these data indicate that matrine is an effective and safe TMEM16A inhibitor and that TMEM16A is the target of matrine anti-lung adenocarcinoma activity. These findings provide new insight for the development of novel treatments for lung adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yafei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunli Pang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuzhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Sai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Hailin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, The Key Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology for New Drug, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Hailong An
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yong Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Sciences, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
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Zhang W, Li L, Li G. Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of shrubby sophora ( Sophora flavescens Ait.). MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES 2018; 3:1282-1283. [PMID: 33490578 PMCID: PMC7800985 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2018.1532839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Sophora flavescens, with high medicinal value, is a traditional Chinese medical plant wildly distributed in China. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Sophora flavescens was determined through Illumina sequencing method. The complete chloroplast genome of S. flavescens was 154,378 bp in length and contained a pair of IR regions (28,876 bp) separated by a small single copy region (18,110 bp) and a large single copy region (84,516 bp). The cp genome of S. flavescens encoded 130 genes including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight ribosomal RNA genes. The overall GC content of S. flavescens cp genome is 36.6%. By phylogenetic analysis using ML method, S. flavescens showed the closest relationship with Sophora alopecuroides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Zhang
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Miao Medicine, Guiyang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Guiyang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Li Li
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Guohong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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Research advances on anticancer activities of matrine and its derivatives: An updated overview. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 161:205-238. [PMID: 30359819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality, only overcome by cardiovascular diseases, and has caused more than 8.7 million deaths in 2015 all over the world. This figure is expected to rise to about 13.1 million by 2030. In order to prevent or cure this fatal illness, substantial efforts have been devoted to develop and discover new anticancer drugs with same or better antitumor activity but lesser toxicity. Matrine is an alkaloid isolated from Sophora flavescens Ait. For decades, matrine and its derivatives have been studied as antineoplastic agents which predominantly work by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. The mechanism responsible for the anticancer activity of matrine can be recognized via up-regulating or down-regulating expression of the cancer related molecules, eventually causing tumor cell death. This review summarizes research developments of matrine and its derivatives as anticancer agents. A few possible research directions, suggestions and clues for future work on the development of novel matrine-based anticancer agents with improved expected activities and lesser toxicity have also been provided.
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Yin H, Que R, Liu C, Ji W, Sun B, Lin X, Zhang Q, Zhao X, Peng Z, Zhang X, Qian H, Chen L, Yao Y, Su C. Survivin-targeted drug screening platform identifies a matrine derivative WM-127 as a potential therapeutics against hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2018; 425:54-64. [PMID: 29608986 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.03.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer related death which needs novel drugs to improve patient outcome. Survivin overexpresses in HCC and contributes to HCC malignant progression. In this study, we established a Survivin-targeted drug screening platform, a cell model HepG2-Sur5P-EGFP-Sur3U stably transfected with lentivirus carrying an EGFP expression cassette, in which the EGFP expression was regulated by the upstream Survivin promoter and downstream Survivin 3'-UTR. By using this platform, we screened and easily identified one of matrine derivatives, WM-127, from hundreds of matrine derivatives. WM-127 was demonstrated to be a strong Survivin inhibitor that inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HCC cells, and suppressed the growth of HCC xenografted tumors in nude mice, suggesting that WM-127 might be a promising drug for HCC treatment. WM-127 exhibited less cytotoxicity in normal cells. Mechanistic studies showed that WM-127 suppressed the activity of Survivin/β-catenin pathway and the expression of Bax to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Taken together, we constructed an economical, practical, efficient and convenient cell platform for screening the Survivin-targeted drugs from the enormous diversity of chemicals or factors, which would be a potential tool for antitumor drug research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haisen Yin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Jingzhou Central Hospital & Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434023, Hubei Province, China
| | - Risheng Que
- Department of Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chunying Liu
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Weidan Ji
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xuejing Lin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xinying Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jingzhou Central Hospital & Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434023, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhangxiao Peng
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Haihua Qian
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yonggang Yao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jingzhou Central Hospital & Clinical Medical College, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434023, Hubei Province, China
| | - Changqing Su
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center of Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu, China.
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Identification of candidate anti-cancer molecular mechanisms of Compound Kushen Injection using functional genomics. Oncotarget 2018; 7:66003-66019. [PMID: 27602759 PMCID: PMC5323210 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Compound Kushen Injection (CKI) has been clinically used in China for over 15 years to treat various types of solid tumours. However, because such Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preparations are complex mixtures of plant secondary metabolites, it is essential to explore their underlying molecular mechanisms in a systematic fashion. We have used the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line as an initial in vitro model to identify CKI induced changes in gene expression. Cells were treated with CKI for 24 and 48 hours at two concentrations (1 and 2 mg/mL total alkaloids), and the effect of CKI on cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured using XTT and Annexin V/Propidium Iodide staining assays respectively. Transcriptome data of cells treated with CKI or 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) for 24 and 48 hours were subsequently acquired using high-throughput Illumina RNA-seq technology. In this report we show that CKI inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion. We integrated and applied a series of transcriptome analysis methods, including gene differential expression analysis, pathway over-representation analysis, de novo identification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) as well as co-expression network reconstruction, to identify candidate anti-cancer molecular mechanisms of CKI. Multiple pathways were perturbed and the cell cycle was identified as the potential primary target pathway of CKI in MCF-7 cells. CKI may also induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via a p53 independent mechanism. In addition, we identified novel lncRNAs and showed that many of them might be expressed as a response to CKI treatment.
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Qian L, Li X, Ye P, Wang G, Dai W, Liu Y, Gao Q, Shen G. Oxymatrine induces apoptosis and inhibits invasion in Gallbladder carcinoma via PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway. Cytotechnology 2018; 70:83-94. [PMID: 29170841 PMCID: PMC5809667 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-017-0153-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxymatrine extracted from Sophora flavescens Ait as a natural polyphenolic phytochemical has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-tumor effects on various cancers, including Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). However, its underlying mechanisms of function are largely unknown in GBC cells. The present study is conducted to investigate the anti-tumor effects and the underlying mechanisms of oxymatrine on GBC cells in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that oxymatrine inhibited cell viability, metastatic ability and induced cell apoptosis in dose-dependent manners. Furthermore, we found that the expression of p-AKT, MMP-2, MMP-9 and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax were significantly down-regulated, while the expression of PTEN was up-regulated in GBC cells. In addition, pretreatment with a specific PI3K/AKT activator (IGF-1) significantly antagonized the oxymatrine-mediated inhibition of GBC-SD cells. Subsequently, our in vivo studies showed that administration of oxymatrine induced a significant dose-dependent decrease in tumor growth. In conclusion, these findings indicated that the inhibition of cells proliferation, migration, invasion and the induction of apoptosis in response to oxymatrine in GBC cells, may function through the suppression of PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway, which was considered as the vital signaling pathway in regulating tumorigenesis. These results suggested that oxymatrine might be a novel effective candidate as chemotherapeutic agent against GBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiang Qian
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China
| | - Xiaqin Li
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Health Center of Songling, Suzhou, 215200, China
| | - Penghui Ye
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China
| | - Quangen Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China.
| | - Genhai Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Wujiang No.1 People's Hospital, Suzhou, 215200, China.
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Novel α, β-Unsaturated Sophoridinic Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Anti-Cancer Activities. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22111967. [PMID: 29135958 PMCID: PMC6150263 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22111967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Using sophoridine 1 and chalcone 3 as the lead compounds, a series of novel α, β-unsaturated sophoridinic derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis indicated that introduction of α, β-unsaturated ketone moiety and heterocyclic group might significantly enhance anticancer activity. Among the compounds, 2f and 2m exhibited potential effects against HepG-2 and CNE-2 human cancer cell lines. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed to understand possible docking sites of the molecules on the target proteins and the mode of binding. This work provides a theoretical basis for structural optimizations and exploring anticancer pathways of this kind of compound.
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Efficacy and Safety of Compound Kushen Injection on Patients with Advanced Colon Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2017; 2017:7102514. [PMID: 29259647 PMCID: PMC5702402 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7102514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Objective The efficacy and safety of Compound Kushen Injection (CKI) on advanced colon cancer remain controversial. We undertook a systematic meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical studies on this issue. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted by searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane, Chinese Biological Medical disc, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wan-Fang Database in China by the end of January 31, 2017, without language restriction. Meta-analysis was performed by using the random effects model to estimate the summary odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) according to the study design. Stata 12.0 software was used for data analysis. The heterogeneity, sensitivity, and publication bias were assessed, respectively. Results A total of 14 trials met the inclusion criteria in present meta-analysis. The results suggested that CKI combined with chemotherapeutic drugs was favorable for the treatment of advanced colon cancer and could improve the patients' life quality. Funnel plot analysis and Egger's test suggested that there was not significant publication bias, and the sensitivity analysis indicated stable results. Conclusion The current evidence suggested that CKI is favorable to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs in patients with advanced colon cancer.
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Ma L, Xu Z, Wang J, Zhu Z, Lin G, Jiang L, Lu X, Zou C. Matrine inhibits BCR/ABL mediated ERK/MAPK pathway in human leukemia cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:108880-108889. [PMID: 29312576 PMCID: PMC5752489 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The BCR/ABL fusion gene and its downstream signaling pathways such as Ras/Raf/MAPK, JAK/STAT3, and PI3K/AKT pathways play important roles in malignant transformation of leukemia, especially chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Our previous study showed that matrine, an alkaloid extracted from a Chinese herb radix sophorae, significantly inhibited the proliferation of human CML K562cells, induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1, and promoted cell apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of matrine in the growth inhibition of leukemia cells using K562 and HL-60 cell lines. RT-PCR and Western blot assay demonstrated that the expression of BCR/ABL in K562 and HL-60 cells was significantly inhibited by matrine treatment. Phosphorylation of MEK1, ERK1/2, and their upstream adaptor molecules Shc and SHP2 were significantly downregulated. The protein and mRNA expression of components of the ERK/MAPK signal pathway, and Bcl-xL, Cyclin D1, and c-Myc, were dramatically reduced. Conversely, the expression of p27, a negative regulator of cell cycle progression, increased after matrine treatment. These results indicated that the inhibition of ERK/MAPK and BCR/ABL signaling pathway was associated with matrine's suppressive effects on the growth of K562 and HL-60 cells. In in vivo study, matrine significantly decreased the mortality rate of tumor-baring mice and suggested that matrine could exert its anti-leukemia effect in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingdi Ma
- Laboratory Center, The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Huizhou 516002, China
| | - Zhenyu Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241001, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Laboratory Center, The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Huizhou 516002, China
| | - Zhichao Zhu
- Laboratory Center, The Second People's Hospital of Changzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Guibin Lin
- Laboratory Center, The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Huizhou 516002, China
| | - Lijia Jiang
- Laboratory Center, The Second People's Hospital of Changzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Xuzhang Lu
- Department of Hematology, The Second People's Hospital of Changzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Chang Zou
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Second Clinical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518020, China
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Matrine derivative YF-18 inhibits lung cancer cell proliferation and migration through down-regulating Skp2. Oncotarget 2017; 8:11729-11738. [PMID: 28036296 PMCID: PMC5355299 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death which needs novel drugs to improve patient outcomes. In this study, we examined the ability of YF-18, a novel matrine derivative to inhibit the growth and migration of lung cancer cells. By cell cycle analysis, wound healing and transwell assays, we found that YF-18 induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and inhibited migration of lung cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Further results indicated that YF-18 inhibited cell proliferation and migration through down-regulating Skp2 and up-regulating its substrates, p27 and E-cadherin. Moreover, YF-18 inhibited A549-luciferase cell xenograft tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner. The findings indicate that YF-18 bears therapeutic potentials for lung cancer.
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Zhou H, Shi HJ, Yang J, Chen WG, Xia L, Song HB, Bo KP, Ma W. Efficacy of oxymatrine for treatment and relapse suppression of severe plaque psoriasis: results from a single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial. Br J Dermatol 2017; 176:1446-1455. [PMID: 28112799 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.15316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drugs that are currently used in the treatment of psoriasis are associated with drawbacks such as rapid recrudescence, high costs and unwanted side-effects. Oxymatrine has a long history of clinical use in the treatment of hepatitis and cancer in China. OBJECTIVES To explore the efficacy and safety of intravenous oxymatrine in patients with severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS A total of 67 patients were randomly allocated to receive oxymatrine injections (0.6 g per day for 8 weeks) or acitretin capsules (0.75 mg kg-1 per day from week 0 to week 2 and 20-30 mg per day from week 3 to week 8) and followed up for another 24 weeks. The primary end point was the percentage of patients with ≥ 50% reduction of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 50) at week 32. The secondary end points included the skin classification grade and the Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI) score. Side-effects were recorded throughout the whole study to assess the safety profile. RESULTS Treatment with oxymatrine or acitretin for 8 weeks significantly decreased PASI score, skin classification grade and DLQI score (P < 0.001), with no significant differences between the oxymatrine and acitretin groups in terms of PASI 50. However, at week 32, the relapse rate in the oxymatrine group was significantly lower than that of the acitretin group (P < 0.001). Moreover, while there was an increase in the number of patients with metabolic abnormalities in the acitretin group, a significant reduction was observed in the oxymatrine group. Furthermore, rates of adverse reactions were significantly decreased in the oxymatrine group compared with that of the acitretin group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Treatment with oxymatrine effectively ameliorated severe plaque psoriasis, and was accompanied by only minor adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Zhou
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - H-J Shi
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - J Yang
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - W-G Chen
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - L Xia
- Department of Dermatovenereology, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - H-B Song
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - K-P Bo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - W Ma
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
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Chen Q, Zhou H, Yang Y, Chi M, Xie N, Zhang H, Deng X, Leavesley D, Shi H, Xie Y. Investigating the potential of Oxymatrine as a psoriasis therapy. Chem Biol Interact 2017; 271:59-66. [PMID: 28450041 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2017.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, stubbornly intractable, with substantial consequences for patient physical and mental welfare. Approaches currently available to treat psoriasis are not satisfactory due to undesirable side-effects or expense. Psoriasis is characterized by hyperproliferation and inflammation. Oxymatrine, an active component extracted from Sophora flavescens, has been demonstrated to possess anti-proliferation, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, immune regulation and pro-apoptotic properties. This investigation presents a detailed retrospective review examining the effect of Oxymatrine on psoriasis and investigates the mechanisms underlying patient responses to Oxymatrine. We confirm that Oxymatrine administration significantly reduced the Psoriasis Area Severity Index score, with high efficacy compared to the control group. In addition, we have found that Oxymatrine significantly inhibits the viability, proliferation and differentiation of human keratinocyte in vitro. Immunohistochemical analysis indicates Oxymatrine significantly suppresses the expression of Pan-Cytokeratin, p63 and keratin 10. The results indicate that the suppression of p63 expression may lead to the anti-proliferation effect of Oxymatrine on human skin keratinocytes. Oxymatrine does not affect the formation of basement membrane, which is very important to maintain the normal function of human skin keratinocytes. In summary, Oxymatrine offers an effective, economical, and safe treatment for patients presenting with intractable psoriasis vulgaris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | - Yinxue Yang
- President of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | - Mingwei Chi
- Medical Affairs Office, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | - Nan Xie
- Tissue Organ Bank & Tissue Engineering Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Tissue Organ Bank & Tissue Engineering Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | | | - David Leavesley
- Tissue Organ Bank & Tissue Engineering Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China; Tissue Technologies, Institute of Medical Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Lee Kong Chain School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Huijuan Shi
- Department of Dermatology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China.
| | - Yan Xie
- Tissue Organ Bank & Tissue Engineering Centre, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
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Understanding the Effectiveness of Natural Compound Mixtures in Cancer through Their Molecular Mode of Action. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18030656. [PMID: 28304343 PMCID: PMC5372668 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18030656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many approaches to cancer management are often ineffective due to adverse reactions, drug resistance, or inadequate target specificity of single anti-cancer agents. In contrast, a combinatorial approach with the application of two or more anti-cancer agents at their respective effective dosages can achieve a synergistic effect that boosts cytotoxicity to cancer cells. In cancer, aberrant apoptotic pathways allow cells that should be killed to survive with genetic abnormalities, leading to cancer progression. Mutations in apoptotic mechanism arising during the treatment of cancer through cancer progression can consequently lead to chemoresistance. Natural compound mixtures that are believed to have multiple specific targets with minimal acceptable side-effects are now of interest to many researchers due to their cytotoxic and chemosensitizing activities. Synergistic interactions within a drug mixture enhance the search for potential molecular targets in cancer cells. Nonetheless, biased/flawed scientific evidence from natural products can suggest false positive therapeutic benefits during drug screening. In this review, we have taken these factors into consideration when discussing the evidence for these compounds and their synergistic therapeutic benefits in cancer. While there is limited evidence for clinical efficacy for these mixtures, in vitro data suggest that these preparations merit further investigation, both in vitro and in vivo.
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Shams T, Lu X, Zhu L, Zhou F. The inhibitory effects of five alkaloids on the substrate transport mediated through human organic anion and cation transporters. Xenobiotica 2017; 48:197-205. [DOI: 10.1080/00498254.2017.1282647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tahiatul Shams
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia and
| | - Xiaoxi Lu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia and
| | - Ling Zhu
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Fanfan Zhou
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia and
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of matrine derivatives containing benzo-α-pyrone structure as potent anti-lung cancer agents. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35918. [PMID: 27786281 PMCID: PMC5081519 DOI: 10.1038/srep35918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Matrine, an active component of root extracts from Sophora flavescens Ait, is the main chemical ingredient of Fufang Kushen injection which was approved by Chinese FDA (CFDA) in 1995 as an anticancer drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer and liver cancer in combination with other anticancer drugs. Owning to its druggable potential, matrine is considered as an ideal lead compound for modification. We delineate herein the synthesis and anticancer effects of 17 matrine derivatives bearing benzo-α-pyrone structures. The results of cell viability assays indicated that most of the target compounds showed improved anticancer effects. Further studies showed that compound 5i could potently inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo with no obvious side effects. Moreover, compound 5i could induce G1 cell cycle arrest and autophagy in lung cancer cells through up-regulating P27, down-regulating CDK4 and cyclinD1 and attenuating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Suppression of autophagy attenuated 5i induced proliferation inhibition. Collectively, our results infer that matrine derivative 5i bears therapeutic potentials for lung cancer.
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Efficacy of Compound Kushen Injection in Combination with Induction Chemotherapy for Treating Adult Patients Newly Diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2016; 2016:3121402. [PMID: 27738441 PMCID: PMC5050378 DOI: 10.1155/2016/3121402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We assessed the clinical effectiveness and safety of CKI (compound Kushen injection) plus standard induction chemotherapy for treating adult acute leukemia (AL). We randomly assigned 332 patients with newly diagnosed AL to control (n = 165, receiving DA (daunorubicin and cytarabine) or hyper-CVAD (fractionated cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone)) or treatment (n = 167, receiving CKI and DA or hyper-CVAD) groups. Posttreatment, treatment group CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, natural killer (NK) cell, and immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, and IgM) levels were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05), and CD8+ levels were lower in the treatment group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Treatment group interleukin- (IL-) 4 and IL-10 levels were significantly higher compared to the control posttreatment (both p < 0.05) as were complete remission, overall response, and quality of life (QoL) improvement rates (p < 0.05). The control group had more incidences of grade 3/4 hematologic and nonhematologic toxicity (p < 0.05). Responses to induction chemotherapy, QoL improvement, and adverse events incidence between control group patients with acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia were not significantly different. CKI plus standard induction chemotherapy is effective and safe for treating AL, possibly by increasing immunologic function.
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Li J, Xu J, Lu Y, Qiu L, Xu W, Lu B, Hu Z, Chu Z, Chai Y, Zhang J. MASM, a Matrine Derivative, Offers Radioprotection by Modulating Lethal Total-Body Irradiation-Induced Multiple Signaling Pathways in Wistar Rats. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21050649. [PMID: 27196884 PMCID: PMC6273364 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21050649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Matrine is an alkaloid extracted from Sophora flavescens Ait and has many biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-fibrosis, and immunosuppressive properties. In our previous studies, the matrine derivative MASM was synthesized and exhibited potent inhibitory activity against liver fibrosis. In this study, we mainly investigated its protection against lethal total-body irradiation (TBI) in rats. Administration of MASM reduced the radiation sickness characteristics and increased the 30-day survival of rats before or after lethal TBI. Ultrastructural observation illustrated that pretreatment of rats with MASM significantly attenuated the TBI-induced morphological changes in the different organs of irradiated rats. Gene expression profiles revealed that pretreatment with MASM had a dramatic effect on gene expression changes caused by TBI. Pretreatment with MASM prevented differential expression of 53% (765 genes) of 1445 differentially expressed genes induced by TBI. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were mainly involved in a total of 21 pathways, such as metabolic pathways, pathways in cancer, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Our data indicated that pretreatment of rats with MASM modulated these pathways induced by TBI, suggesting that the pretreatment with MASM might provide the protective effects on lethal TBI mainly or partially through the modulation of these pathways, such as multiple MAPK pathways. Therefore, MASM has the potential to be used as an effective therapeutic or radioprotective agent to minimize irradiation damages and in combination with radiotherapy to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Jing Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
- Department of Pharmacy, East Hospital, Dongji University, Shanghai 200085, China.
| | - Yiming Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Lei Qiu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Weiheng Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Bin Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Zhenlin Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Zhiyong Chu
- The Naval Medical Research Institute, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Yifeng Chai
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Junping Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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