Chemopreventive effect of chalcone derivative, L2H17, in colon cancer development

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of cyclic C7-bridged monocarbonyl curcumin analogs containing an o-methoxy phenyl group as potential agents against gastric cancer

The structure-activity relationship (SAR) between toxicity and the types of linking ketones of C7 bridged monocarbonyl curcumin analogs (MCAs) was not clear yet. In the pursuit of effective and less cytotoxic chemotherapeutics, we conducted a SAR analysis using various diketene skeletons of C7-bridged MCAs, synthesized cyclic C7-bridged MCAs containing the identified low-toxicity cyclopentanone scaffold and an o-methoxy phenyl group, and assessed their anti-gastric cancer activity and safety profile. Most compounds exhibited potent cytotoxic activities against gastric cancer cells. We developed a quantitative structure-activity relationship model (R2 > 0.82) by random Forest method, providing important information for optimizing structure. An optimized compound 2 exhibited in vitro and in vivo anti-gastric cancer activity partly through inhibiting the AKT and STAT3 pathways, and displayed a favorable in vivo safety profile. In summary, this paper provided a promising class of MCAs and a potential compound for the development of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Sulfonamide-chalcone hybrid compound suppresses cellular adhesion and migration: Experimental and computational insight

In the present study, the effect of sulfonamide-chalcone 185 (SSC185) was investigated against B16-F10 metastatic melanoma cells aggressive actions, besides migration and adhesion processes, by in silico and in vitro assays. In silico studies were used to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile and possible targets of SSC185, using the pkCSM web server, and docking simulations with AutoDock Tools. Furthermore, the antimetastatic effect of SSC185 was investigated by in vitro experiments using MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide), colony, scratch, and cell adhesion assays, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The molecular docking results show better affinity of SSC185 with the metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) and α5β1 integrin. SSC185 effectively restricts the formation of colonies, migration, and adhesion of B16-F10 metastatic melanoma cells. Through the AFM images changes in cells morphology was identified, with a decrease in the filopodia and increase in the average cellular roughness. The results obtained demonstrate the potential of this molecule in inhibit the primordial steps for metastasis, which is responsible for a worse prognosis of late stage cancer, being the main cause of morbidity among cancer patients.

Curcuminoid PBPD induces cuproptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress in cervical cancer via the Notch1/RBP-J/NRF2/FDX1 pathway

Curcumin has been shown to have antitumor properties, but its low potency and bioavailability has limited its clinical application. We designed a novel curcuminoid, [1-propyl-3,5-bis(2-bromobenzylidene)-4-piperidinone] (PBPD), which has higher antitumor strength and improves bioavailability. Cell counting kit-8 was used to detect cell activity. Transwell assay was used to detect cell invasion and migration ability. Western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect protein levels and their messenger RNA expression. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the protein location. PBPD significantly inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 4.16 μM for Hela cells and 3.78 μM for SiHa cells, leading to the induction of cuproptosis. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that PBPD significantly inhibited the Notch1/Recombination Signal Binding Protein for Immunoglobulin kappa J Region (RBP-J) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathways while upregulating ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) expression. Knockdown of Notch1 or RBP-J significantly inhibited NRF2 expression and upregulated FDX1 expression, leading to the inhibition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate activity and the induction of oxidative stress, which in turn activated endoplasmic reticulum stress and induced cell death. The overexpression of Notch1 or RBP-J resulted in the enrichment of RBP-J within the NRF2 promoter region, thereby stimulating NRF2 transcription. NRF2 knockdown resulted in increase in FDX1 expression, leading to cuproptosis. In addition, PBPD inhibited the acidification of tumor niche and reduced cell metabolism to inhibit cervical cancer cell invasion and migration. In conclusion, PBPD significantly inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and migration of cervical cancer cells and may be a novel potential drug candidate for treatment of cervical cancer.

Design, synthesis, and ex vivo anti-drug resistant cervical cancer activity of novel molecularly targeted chalcone derivatives

Chemotherapy toxicity and tumor multidrug resistance remain the main reasons for clinical treatment failure in cervical cancer. In this study, 79 novel chalcone derivatives were designed and synthesized using the principle of active substructure splicing with the parent nucleus of licorice chalcone as the lead compound and VEGFR-2 and P-gp as the target of action and their potentials for anticervical cancer activity were preliminarily evaluated. The results showed that the IC50 values of candidate compound B20 against HeLa and HeLa/DDP cells were 3.66 ± 0.10 and 4.35 ± 0.21 μΜ, respectively, with a resistance index (RI) of 1.18, which was significantly higher than that of the positive drug cisplatin (IC50:13.60 ± 1.63, 100.03 ± 7.94 μΜ, RI:7.36). In addition, B20 showed significant inhibitory activity against VEGFR-2 kinase and P-gp-mediated rhodamine 123 efflux, as well as the ability to inhibit the phosphorylation of VEGFR-2 and downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway proteins, inducing apoptosis, blocking cells in the S-phase, and inhibiting invasive migration and tubule generation by HUVEC cells. Acceptable safety was demonstrated in acute toxicity tests when B20 was at 200 mg/kg. In the nude mouse HeLa/DDP cell xenograft tumor model, the inhibition rate of transplanted tumors was 39.2 % and 79.2 % when B20 was at 10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively. These results suggest that B20 is a potent VEGFR-2 and P-gp inhibitor with active potential for treating cisplatin-resistant cervical cancer.

The effect of novel nitrogen-based chalcone analogs on colorectal cancer cells: Insight into the molecular pathways

In colorectal cancer (CRC), aberrations in KRAS are associated with aggressive tumorigenesis and an overall low survival rate because of chemoresistance and adverse effects. Ergo, complementary, and integrative medicines are being considered for CRC treatment. Among which is the use of natural chalcones that are known to exhibit anti-tumor activities in KRAS mutant CRC subtypes treatment regimens. Consequently, we examine the effect of two novel compounds (DK13 and DK14) having chalcones with nitrogen mustard moiety on CRC cell lines (HCT-116 and LoVo) with KRAS mutation. These compounds were synthesized in our lab and previously reported to exhibit potent activity against breast cancer cells. Our data revealed that DK13 and DK14 treatment suppress cell growth, disturb the progression of cell cycle, and trigger apoptosis in CRC cell lines. Besides, treatment with both compounds impedes cell invasion and colony formation in both cell lines as compared to 5-FU; this is accompanied by up and down regulations of E-cadherin and Vimentin, respectively. At the molecular level, both compounds deregulate the expression and phosphorylation of β-catenin, Akt and mTOR, which are the main likely molecular mechanisms underlying these biological occurrences. Our findings present DK13 and DK14 as novel chemotherapies against CRC, through β-catenin/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways.

Demethoxylation of curcumin enhances its inhibition on human and rat 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3: QSAR structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis

Curcuminoids have many pharmacological effects. They or their metabolites may have side effects by suppressing 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (17β-HSD3). Herein, we investigated the inhibition of curcuminoids and their metabolites on human and rat 17β-HSD3 and analyzed their structure-activity relationship (SAR) and performed in silico docking. Curcuminoids and their metabolites ranked in terms of IC50 values against human 17β-HSD3 were bisdemethoxycurcumin (0.61 μM) > curcumin (8.63 μM) > demethoxycurcumin (9.59 μM) > tetrahydrocurcumin (22.04 μM) > cyclocurcumin (29.14 μM), and those against rat 17β-HSD3 were bisdemethoxycurcumin (3.94 μM) > demethoxycurcumin (4.98 μM) > curcumin (9.62 μM) > tetrahydrocurcumin (45.82 μM) > cyclocurcumin (143.5 μM). The aforementioned chemicals were mixed inhibitors for both enzymes. Molecular docking analysis revealed that they bind to the domain between the androstenedione and NADPH active sites of 17β-HSD3. Bivariate correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between LogP and pKa of curcumin derivatives with their IC50 values. Additionally, a 3D-QSAR analysis revealed that a pharmacophore model consisting of three hydrogen bond acceptor regions and one hydrogen bond donor region provided a better fit for bisdemethoxycurcumin compared to curcumin. In conclusion, curcuminoids and their metabolites possess the ability to inhibit androgen biosynthesis by directly targeting human and rat 17β-HSD3. The inhibitory strength of these compounds is influenced by their lipophilicity and ionization characteristics.

Synthesis, Characterization, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activity against Colon Cancer Cells of Some Cinnamaldehyde-Based Chalcone Derivatives

The purpose of the current investigation was to produce cinammaldehyde-based chalcone derivatives (3a-k) to evaluate their potential effectiveness as antioxidant and inhibitory agents versus human Caco-2 cancer cells. The findings obtained using the DPPH assay showed that compound 3e had the highest effective antioxidant activity with the best IC50 value compared with the other compounds. Moreover, the cytotoxic findings revealed that compound 3e was the best compound for inhibiting Caco-2 development in contrast to all other produced derivatives, with the lowest IC50 concentration (32.19 ± 3.92 µM), and it also had no detrimental effects on healthy human lung cells (wi38 cells). Exposure of Caco-2 cells with this IC50 value of compound 3e resulted in a substantial rise in the number of early and late cells that are apoptotic with a significant comet nucleus when compared with control cells employing the annexin V/PI and comet evaluations, respectively. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and ELISA examinations indicated that compound 3e significantly altered the expression of genes and their relative proteins related to apoptosis in the treated Caco-2 cells, thus significantly inhibiting Caco-2 growth through activating Caspase-3 via an intrinsic apoptotic pathway. As a result, compound 3e could serve as an effective therapy for human colon cancer.

Curcumin analogues exert potent inhibition on human and rat gonadal 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases as potential therapeutic agents: structure-activity relationship and in silico docking

Curcuminoids are functional food additives, and the effect on gonadal hormone biosynthesis remains unclear. Gonads contain 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isoforms, h3β-HSD2 (humans) and r3β-HSD1 (rats), which catalyse pregnenolone into progesterone. The potency and mechanisms of curcuminoids to inhibit 3β-HSD activity were explored. The inhibitory potency was bisdemethoxycurcumin (IC₅₀, 1.68 µM) >demethoxycurcumin (3.27 µM) > curcumin (13.87 µM) > tetrahydrocurcumin (109.0 µM) > dihydrocurcumin and octahydrocurcumin on KGN cell h3β-HSD2, while that was bisdemethoxycurcumin (1.22 µM) >demethoxycurcumin (2.18 µM) > curcumin (4.12 µM) > tetrahydrocurcumin (102.61 µM) > dihydrocurcumin and octahydrocurcumin on testicular r3β-HSD1. All curcuminoids inhibited progesterone secretion by KGN cells under basal and forskolin-stimulated conditions at >10 µM. Docking analysis showed that curcuminoids bind steroid-active site with mixed or competitive mode. In conclusion, curcuminoids inhibit gonadal 3β-HSD activity and de-methoxylation of curcumin increases inhibitory potency and metabolism of curcumin by saturation of carbon chain losses inhibitory potency.

Curcuminoids inhibit human and rat placental 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases: Structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In traditional Chinese medicine, curcuma longa L has been applied to treat pain and tumour-related symptoms for over thousands of years. Curcuminoids, polyphenolic compounds, are the main pharmacological component from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. Pharmacological investigations have found that curcuminoids have many pharmacological activities of anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, and anti-metastasis.

AIM OF THE STUDY

3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD1) catalyses the production of steroid precursors for androgens and estrogens, which play an essential role in cancer metastasis. We explored the potency and mode of action of curcuminoids and their metabolites of inhibiting 3β-HSD1 activity and compared the species difference between human and rat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we investigated the direct inhibition of 6 curcuminoids on human placental 3β-HSD1 activity and compared the species-dependent difference in human 3β-HSD1 and rat placental homolog 3β-HSD4.

RESULTS

The inhibitory potency of curcuminoids on human 3β-HSD1 was demethoxycurcumin (IC₅₀, 0.18 μM) > bisdemethoxycurcumin (0.21 μM)>curcumin (2.41 μM)> dihydrocurcumin (4.13 μM)>tetrahydrocurcumin (15.78 μM)>octahydrocurcumin (ineffective at 100 μM). The inhibitory potency of curcuminoids on rat 3β-HSD4 was bisdemethoxycurcumin (3.34 μM)>dihydrocurcumin (5.12 μM)>tetrahydrocurcumin (41.82 μM)>demethoxycurcumin (88.10 μM)>curcumin (137.06 μM)> octahydrocurcumin (ineffective at 100 μM). Human choriocarcinoma JAr cells with curcuminoid treatment showed that these chemicals had similar potency to inhibit progesterone secretion under basal and 8bromo-cAMP stimulated conditions. Docking analysis showed that all chemicals bind pregnenolone-binding site with mixed/competitive mode for 3β-HSD.

CONCLUSION

Some curcuminoids are potent human placental 3β-HSD1 inhibitors, possibly being potential drugs to treat prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Synthesis, in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation and mechanism of 5' monosubstituted chalcone derivatives as antitumor agents

A series of 5' monosubstituted chalcone derivatives were synthesized to explore their antitumor activity and mechanism of action in vitro. The structures of 5' monosubstituted chalcone derivatives synthesized by reactions such as Suzuki coupling were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and MS, and the target compounds were not reported in the literature. The antitumor activity of the aimed compounds was tested by MTT colorimetric method in vitro. Compound 5c has an IC50 value of 1.97 μM for K562 and a value of 2.23 μM for HepG2. Further investigation of the mechanism of action of compound 5c was found to have effects on K562 cell morphology, proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and wound healing of HepG2 cells. The results showed that compound 5c has research value in antitumor activity and mechanism of action in vitro.

Chalcones and Gastrointestinal Cancers: Experimental Evidence

Colorectal (CRC) and gastric cancers (GC) are the most common digestive tract cancers with a high incidence rate worldwide. The current treatment including surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy has several limitations such as drug toxicity, cancer recurrence or drug resistance and thus it is a great challenge to discover an effective and safe therapy for CRC and GC. In the last decade, numerous phytochemicals and their synthetic analogs have attracted attention due to their anticancer effect and low organ toxicity. Chalcones, plant-derived polyphenols, received marked attention due to their biological activities as well as for relatively easy structural manipulation and synthesis of new chalcone derivatives. In this study, we discuss the mechanisms by which chalcones in both in vitro and in vivo conditions suppress cancer cell proliferation or cancer formation.

Novel Chalcone-Phenazine Hybrids Induced Ferroptosis in U87-MG Cells through Activating Ferritinophagy

Thirty-seven novel chalcone-phenazine hybrid molecules (C1∼C13 and F1∼F24) with 1,2,3-triazole or ethyl group as linkers were designed and synthesized in this study. Some compounds exhibited selective cytotoxicity against U87-MG cancer cell lines in vitro, in which compound C4 were found to have the best antiproliferative activity. SAR study indicated 1,2,3-triazole group may be crucial for enhancing compounds' cytotoxicity. C4 was verified to induce ferroptosis in U87-MG cells by transcription, lipid peroxidation, lipid ROS assays. Furthermore, C4 was up-regulated LC3-II, degradated FTH1, and then increasing iron resulted in the down-regulation of NCOA4. Together, all above evidences highlighted the potential of compound C4 that triggered ferroptosis by activating ferritinophagy against U87-MG cells.

A novel synthetic chalcone derivative, 2,4,6-trimethoxy-4'-nitrochalcone (Ch-19), exerted anti-tumor effects through stimulating ROS accumulation and inducing apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells

Esophageal cancer has always been associated with poor prognosis and a low five-year survival rate. Chalcone, a flavonoid family member, has shown anti-tumor property in several types of cancer. However, few studies reported the potency and mechanisms of action of synthetic Chalcone derivatives against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel chalcone analogs and Ch-19 was selected for its superior anti-tumor potency. Results indicated that Ch-19 shows a dose- and time-dependent anti-tumor activity in both KYSE-450 and Eca-109 esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, treatment of Ch-19 resulted in the regression of KYSE-450 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, we investigated the potential mechanism involved in the effective anti-tumor effects of Ch-19. As a result, we observed that Ch-19 treatment promoted ROS accumulation and caused G2/M phase arrest in both Eca-109 and KYSE-450 cancer cell lines, thereby resulting in cell apoptosis. Taken together, our study provided a novel synthetic chalcone derivative as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic candidate for treating esophageal cancer.

Novel Nitrogen-Based Chalcone Analogs Provoke Substantial Apoptosis in HER2-Positive Human Breast Cancer Cells via JNK and ERK1/ERK2 Signaling Pathways

Natural chalcones possess antitumor properties and play a role as inducers of apoptosis, antioxidants and cytotoxic compounds. We recently reported that novel nitrogen chalcone-based compounds, which were generated in our lab, have specific effects on triple-negative breast cancer cells. However, the outcome of these two new compounds on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer remains nascent. Thus, we herein investigated the effects of these compounds (DK-13 and DK-14) on two HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines, SKBR3 and ZR75. Our data revealed that these compounds inhibit cell proliferation, deregulate cell-cycle progression and significantly induce cell apoptosis in both cell lines. Furthermore, the two chalcone compounds cause a significant reduction in the cell invasion ability of SKBR3 and ZR75 cancer cells. In parallel, we found that DK-13 and DK-14 inhibit colony formation of both cell lines in comparison to their matched controls. On the other hand, we noticed that these two compounds can inhibit angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane model. The molecular pathway analysis of chalcone compounds exposed cells revealed that these compounds inhibit the expression of both JNK1/2/3 and ERK1/2, the major plausible molecular pathways behind these events. Our findings implicate that DK-13 and DK-14 possess effective chemotherapeutic outcomes against HER2-positive breast cancer via the ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signaling pathways.

Chalcone Derivatives: Role in Anticancer Therapy

Chalcones (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones) are precursors for flavonoids and isoflavonoids, which are common simple chemical scaffolds found in many naturally occurring compounds. Many chalcone derivatives were also prepared due to their convenient synthesis. Chalcones as weandhetic analogues have attracted much interest due to their broad biological activities with clinical potentials against various diseases, particularly for antitumor activity. The chalcone family has demonstrated potential in vitro and in vivo activity against cancers via multiple mechanisms, including cell cycle disruption, autophagy regulation, apoptosis induction, and immunomodulatory and inflammatory mediators. It represents a promising strategy to develop chalcones as novel anticancer agents. In addition, the combination of chalcones and other therapies is expected to be an effective way to improve anticancer therapeutic efficacy. However, despite the encouraging results for their response to cancers observed in clinical studies, a full description of toxicity is required for their clinical use as safe drugs for the treatment of cancer. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances of the chalcone family as potential anticancer agents and the mechanisms of action. Besides, future applications and scope of the chalcone family toward the treatment and prevention of cancer are brought out.

A New Chalcone Derivative with Promising Antiproliferative and Anti-Invasion Activities in Glioblastoma Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most deadly primary malignant brain tumor. Current therapies are not effective, the average survival of GBM patients after diagnosis being limited to few months. Therefore, the discovery of new treatments for this highly aggressive brain cancer is urgently needed. Chalcones are synthetic and naturally occurring compounds that have been widely investigated as anticancer agents. In this work, three chalcone derivatives were tested regarding their inhibitory activity and selectivity towards GBM cell lines (human and mouse) and a non-cancerous mouse brain cell line. The chalcone 1 showed the most potent and selective cytotoxic effects in the GBM cell lines, being further investigated regarding its ability to reduce critical hallmark features of GBM and to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. This derivative showed to successfully reduce the invasion and proliferation capacity of tumor cells, both key targets for cancer treatment. Moreover, to overcome potential systemic side effects and its poor water solubility, this compound was encapsulated into liposomes. Therapeutic concentrations were incorporated retaining the potent in vitro growth inhibitory effect of the selected compound. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that this new formulation can be a promising starting point for the discovery of new and more effective drug treatments for GBM.

Chemopreventive effect of 4'-hydroxychalcone on intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin mice

Chalcones and its derivatives are reported to exhibit anti-cancer effects in several cancer cell lines, including colon cancer cells. However, the in vivo anticancer effects and associated mechanisms of chalcones against intestinal tumorigenesis currently remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemopreventive effect of a chalcone derivative, 4'-hydroxychalcone (4-HC), in a transgenic adenomatous polyposis coli multiple intestinal neoplasia mouse model (ApcMin) of spontaneous intestinal adenomas. ApcMin mice were fed 4-HC (10 mg/kg/day) or the vehicle control by oral gavage starting at 8 weeks of age, and were sacrificed at 20 weeks. The administration of 4-HC significantly decreased the number of colon adenomas by 45% and the size of colon adenomas by 35% compared with the respective controls. Similarly, the number of adenomas in the distal small intestine (DSI) and proximal small intestine also decreased by 35 and 33%, respectively, in 4-HC-treated mice, and adenoma size in the DSI decreased by 39% compared with the respective controls. Treatment with 4-HC strongly decreased proliferation in colon and DSI adenomas, as detected by immunofluorescence staining with the proliferation marker protein Ki-67, and promoted apoptosis in colon adenomas, as detected by TUNEL immunofluorescence staining. In addition, decreased mRNA expression of β-catenin target genes, including c-Myc, Axin2 and CD44, in colon adenomas of 4-HC-treated animals demonstrated the involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the initiation and progression of colon neoplasms. Treatment with 4-HC also decreased the protein levels of β-catenin in colon adenomas, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence staining. The results suggested that 4-HC may be a promising candidate for the chemoprevention of intestinal tumorigenesis, and further investigations are required to evaluate its clinical utility.

Inhibitory Effect of Hydroxysafflor Yellow B on the Proliferation of Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells

BACKGROUND

A recent patent has been issued for hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) as a drug to prevent blood circulation disorders. Hydroxysafflor yellow B (HSYB), an isomer of HSYA with antioxidative effects, has been isolated from the florets of Carthamus tinctorius. The effects of HSYB on the proliferation of cancer cells and its mechanism of action have not been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to investigate the anti-cancer effects and the molecular mechanism of HSYB for breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

METHODS

MTT assays and colony formation assays were used to assess the survival and proliferation of MCF-7 cells, respectively. Hoechst 33258 and flow cytometry were used to measure cell apoptosis and flow cytometry to determine effects on the cell cycle. Western blots were used to measure protein levels.

RESULTS

Treatment with HSYB reduced survival and proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, HSYB arrested the MCF-7 cell cycle at the S phase and downregulated cyclin D1, cyclin E, and CDK2. Compared with a control group, HSYB suppressed the protein levels of p-PI3K, PI3K, AKT, and p-AKT in MCF-7 cells. In addition, HSYB decreased the levels of Bcl- 2, increased the levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9, and subsequently induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrate that HSYB arrests the MCF-7 cell cycle at the S phase and induces cell apoptosis. Patent US20170246228 indicates that HSYB can be potentially used for the prevention and treatment of human breast cancer.

A novel chalcone derivative has antitumor activity in melanoma by inducing DNA damage through the upregulation of ROS products

Background

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors with the remarkable characteristic of resistance to traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although targeted therapy and immunotherapy benefit advanced melanoma patient treatment, BRAFi (BRAF inhibitor) resistance and the lower response rates or severe side effects of immunotherapy have been observed, therefore, it is necessary to develop novel inhibitors for melanoma treatment.

Methods

We detected the cell proliferation of lj-1-59 in different melanoma cells by CCK 8 and colony formation assay. To further explore the mechanisms of lj-1-59 in melanoma, we performed RNA sequencing to discover the pathway of differential gene enrichment. Western blot and Q-RT-PCR were confirmed to study the function of lj-1-59 in melanoma.

Results

We found that lj-1-59 inhibits melanoma cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, induces cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and promotes apoptosis in melanoma cell lines. Furthermore, RNA-Seq was performed to study alterations in gene expression profiles after treatment with lj-1-59 in melanoma cells, revealing that this compound regulates various pathways, such as DNA replication, P53, apoptosis and the cell cycle. Additionally, we validated the effect of lj-1-59 on key gene expression alterations by Q-RT-PCR. Our findings showed that lj-1-59 significantly increases ROS (reactive oxygen species) products, leading to DNA toxicity in melanoma cell lines. Moreover, lj-1-59 increases ROS levels in BRAFi -resistant melanoma cells, leading to DNA damage, which caused G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis.

Conclusions

Taken together, we found that lj-1-59 treatment inhibits melanoma cell growth by inducing apoptosis and DNA damage through increased ROS levels, suggesting that this compound is a potential therapeutic drug for melanoma treatment.

Impacts of exercise interventions on different diseases and organ functions in mice

Background

In recent years, much evidence has emerged to indicate that exercise can benefit people when performed properly. This review summarizes the exercise interventions used in studies involving mice as they are related to special diseases or physiological status. To further understand the effects of exercise interventions in treating or preventing diseases, it is important to establish a template for exercise interventions that can be used in future exercise-related studies.

Methods

PubMed was used as the data resource for articles. To identify studies related to the effectiveness of exercise interventions for treating various diseases and organ functions in mice, we used the following search language: (exercise [Title] OR training [Title] OR physical activity [Title]) AND (mice [title/abstract] OR mouse [title/abstract] OR mus [title/abstract]). To limit the range of search results, we included 2 filters: one that limited publication dates to "in 10 years" and one that sorted the results as "best match". Then we grouped the commonly used exercise methods according to their similarities and differences. We then evaluated the effectiveness of the exercise interventions for their impact on diseases and organ functions in 8 different systems.

Results

A total of 331 articles were included in the analysis procedure. The articles were then segmented into 8 systems for which the exercise interventions were used in targeting and treating disorders: motor system (60 studies), metabolic system (45 studies), cardio-cerebral vascular system (58 studies), nervous system (74 studies), immune system (32 studies), respiratory system (7 studies), digestive system (1 study), and the system related to the development of cancer (54 studies). The methods of exercise interventions mainly involved the use of treadmills, voluntary wheel-running, forced wheel-running, swimming, and resistance training. It was found that regardless of the specific exercise method used, most of them demonstrated positive effects on various systemic diseases and organ functions. Most diseases were remitted with exercise regardless of the exercise method used, although some diseases showed the best remission effects when a specific method was used.

Conclusion

Our review strongly suggests that exercise intervention is a cornerstone in disease prevention and treatment in mice. Because exercise interventions in humans typically focus on chronic diseases, national fitness, and body weight loss, and typically have low intervention compliance rates, it is important to use mice models to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits from exercise interventions in humans.

A new chalcone derivative, 3-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-tris(methoxymethoxy)phenyl)prop-2-yn-1-one), inhibits phorbol ester-induced metastatic activity of colorectal cancer cells through upregulation of heme oxygenase-1

Chalcone (1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one) derivatives exert anti-cancer activity by targeting key molecules that can lead to carcinogenesis. We synthesized the chalcone derivative 3-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-tris(methoxymethoxy)phenyl)prop-2-yn-1-one (KB-34) and previously reported its anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages. In this study, we examined the anti-metastatic activity of KB-34 against human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and elucidated its underlying molecular mechanisms. KB-34 treatment significantly inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced migration, as well as the invasion and proliferation of CRC cells (HT-29 and SW620). TPA-induced activation of NF-κB was also markedly suppressed by KB-34 in HT-29 cells. KB-34 suppressed the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) at both the mRNA and protein levels in TPA-stimulated CRC cells (HT-29 and SW620). We also demonstrated that induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in CRC cells (HT-29 and SW620) and HO-1 is required for KB-34-mediated suppression of the expression of MMP-7 in TPA-stimulated HT-29 cells. Additionally, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 was significantly induced by treatment with KB-34 in CRC cells (HT-29 and SW620). Knockdown of HO-1 prevented the induction of p21 expression by KB-34 in HT-29 cells. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) together with KB-34 produced a significantly greater inhibition of growth and stimulation of apoptosis of HT-29 cells than did 5-FU alone. In conclusion, KB-34 inhibits the TPA-stimulated metastatic potential of HT-29 cells by induction of HO-1 and may be a promising anti-cancer agent in chemotherapeutic strategies for CRC.

The novel chalcone analog L2H17 protects retinal ganglion cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis

Chalcone is a plant metabolite widely found in fruits, vegetables, spices and tea, and has anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, antibacterial and anti-oxidation activities, as well as many other pharmacological and biological effects. Our team has shown that its analogs have antioxidant activity, and oxidative stress is a pathological hallmark of retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury that can lead to retinal damage and visual loss. This investigation aims to identify a chalcone that protects retinal ganglion cells in vitro from the effects of oxidative stress and examine its mechanism. Rat retinal ganglion cell-5 cells were pretreated with chalcones and then exposed to tert-butyl hydroperoxide that causes oxidative damage. Controls received dimethyl sulfoxide only or tert-butyl hydroperoxide in dimethyl sulfoxide. Only (E)-3,4-dihydroxy-2'-methylether ketone (L2H17), of the five chalcone analogs, markedly increased the survival rate of oxidatively injured RGC-5 cells. Thus, subsequent experiments only analyzed the results of the L2H17 intervention. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured. Intracellular superoxide dismutase and reactive oxygen species levels were used to assess induced oxidative stress. The mechanism of action by L2H17 was explored by measuring the ER stress/UPR pathway and the expression and localization of Nrf2. All results demonstrated that L2H17 could reduce the apoptosis of oxidatively injured cells, inhibit caspase-3 activity, increase Bcl-2 expression, decrease Bad expression, increase the activity of superoxide dismutase, inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species, increase Nrf2 immunoreactivity, and reduce the activating transcription factor 4, phospho-eukaryotic initiation factor 2 and CHOP expression. L2H17 protects retinal ganglion cells induced by oxidative stress by regulating Nrf2, which indicates that it has the potential to become a drug for retinal ischemia/reperfusion.