Persea declinata (Bl.) Kosterm Bark Crude Extract Induces Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cells via G0/G1 Cell Cycle Arrest, Bcl-2/Bax/Bcl-xl Signaling Pathways, and ROS Generation

Azoxystrobin Reduces Oral Carcinogenesis by Suppressing Mitochondrial Complex III Activity and Inducing Apoptosis

Purpose

The five-year survival rate of patients with oral cancer is approximately 50%; thus, alternative drugs with higher efficacy are urgently required. Azoxystrobin (AZOX), a natural, novel methoxyacrylate fungicide isolated from mushrooms, has a broad-spectrum, with highly efficient bactericidal effect. However, studies on AZOX have focused on antifungal effects. Here, we explore the potential cancer-preventive effects of AZOX and the underlying mechanisms.

Materials and Methods

The effects of AZOX on oral carcinogenesis induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) were investigated in C57BL/6 mice. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined by Ki67 immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining, respectively. The main organ coefficients of each group were calculated to evaluate the biosafety of AZOX. CCK8 and flow cytometry were used to detect the effects of AZOX on cell viability and apoptosis in oral cancer cell line CAL27 and SCC15 cells in vitro. Cell cycle, mitochondrial complex III activity, intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, mitochondrial ROS level, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were detected by flow cytometry in AZOX-treated CAL27 cells.

Results

AZOX significantly inhibited the occurrence of 4NQO-induced tongue cancer and delayed the progression of tongue precancerous lesions in mice. High-dose AZOX obviously inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in epithelial dysplastic and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) lesions in mouse tongue mucosa. AZOX was confirmed to have high biosafety. Similarly, in vitro cell viability was suppressed, and apoptosis was induced in AZOX-treated CAL27 and SCC15 cells. AZOX induced cell cycle arrest at the S phase. AZOX inhibited mitochondrial complex III activity, increased intracellular and mitochondrial ROS levels, and decreased MMP in CAL27 cells.

Conclusion

AZOX inhibited the development of oral cancer through specific inhibition of the activity of mitochondrial complex III, which led to ROS accumulation, and MMP decrease, ultimately inducing apoptosis. AZOX may be a novel agent for the prevention and treatment of OSCC.

Naturally Available Extracts Inhibiting Cancer Progression: A Systematic Review

Aim.

This systematic review is aimed at evaluating the literature on the efficacy of naturally available extracts that inhibit cancer.

Methods.

A literature search was performed to strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology analysis. Approximately 3000 research articles were initially selected. Of these articles, 200 were included, and 2800 were excluded. On further scrutiny, 150 of the 200 studies were reviews, seminars, and presentations, and 50 were original study articles. Among these articles, 20 studies were selected for the systematic review.

Results.

The predominant molecular pathways followed by natural extracts were nuclear factor kappa B ligand, suppression of the protein kinase B-Akt/P13K pathway (an intracellular signaling pathway important in regulating cell cycle), vascular endothelial growth factor downregulation, and tumor protein-P53 tumor suppressor upregulation.

Conclusions.

It is evident that natural extracts have the ability to inhibit cancer progression. Continued research in this field could facilitate the use of natural extracts with currently available anticancer agents.

Deglucose chikusetsusaponin IVa isolated from Rhizoma Panacis Majoris induces apoptosis in human HepG2 hepatoma cells

Deglucose chikusetsusaponin IVa (DCIVa), isolated from Rhizoma Panacis Majoris, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, is a type of oleanane triterpenoids. Various previous studies have demonstrated that oleanane triterpenoids exhibit cytotoxic activity against various types of cancer cells. However, whether DCIVa exerts an antitumor effect remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to assess the effect of DCIVa on cancer cells using the HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line and determine the underlying mechanism. Using an MTT assay, it was demonstrated that DCIVa inhibited cell growth and viability in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. Typical apoptotic features, including chromatin condensation and margination at the nuclear periphery, and apoptotic body formation were induced by DCIVa and were detected by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, nuclear condensation and fragmentation were also observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis revealed that DCIVa increased cell apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest dose‑dependently. Western blot analysis further demonstrated that DCIVa upregulated the expression of the pro‑apoptotic protein, Bax, and downregulated the expression of the anti‑apoptotic protein, Bcl‑2. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that DCIVa exerts potent cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cells through induction of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and may be utilized as a potential anticancer agent.

Medicinal Plants and Other Living Organisms with Antitumor Potential against Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. As a result, it is often associated with a significant amount of suffering and a general decrease in the quality of life. Herbal medicines are recognized as an attractive approach to lung cancer therapy with little side effects and are a major source of new drugs. The aim of this work was to review the medicinal plants and other living organisms with antitumor potential against lung cancer. The assays were conducted with animals and humans, and Lewis lung carcinoma was the most used experimental model. China, Japan, South Korea, and Ethiopia were the countries that most published studies of species with antitumor activity. Of the 38 plants evaluated, 27 demonstrated antitumor activity. In addition, six other living organisms were cited for antitumor activity against lung cancer. Mechanisms of action, combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, and new technologies to increase activity and reduce the toxicity of the treatment are discussed. This review was based on the NAPRALERT databank, Web of Science, and Chemical Abstracts. This work shows that natural products from plants continue to be a rich source of herbal medicines or biologically active compounds against cancer.