Effect of Matrine on HPAC cell migration by down-regulating the expression of MT1-MMP via Wnt signaling

[Computer-aided prediction and molecular mechanism investigation of active components in compound Kushen injection inhibiting p21-activated kinase 1]

Targeting p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) is a novel strategy for pancreatic cancer treatment. Compound Kushen injection contains many anti-pancreatic cancer components, but the specific targets are unknown. In this study, 14α-hydroxymatrine, an active component of Kushen injection, was found to possess high binding free energy with the allosteric site of PAK1 by molecular docking based virtual screening. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that 14α-hydroxymatrine caused the α1 and α2 helices of the allosteric site of PAK1 to extend outward to form a deep allosteric regulatory pocket. Meanwhile, 14α-hydroxymatrine induced the β-folding region at the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding pocket of PAK1 to close inward, resulting in the ATP-binding pocket in a "semi-closed" state which caused the inactivation of PAK1. After removal of 14α-hydroxymatrine, PAK1 showed a tendency to change from the inactive conformation to the active conformation. We supposed that 14α-hydroxymatrine of compound Kushen injection might be a reversible allosteric inhibitor of PAK1. This study used modern technologies and methods to study the active components of traditional Chinese medicine, which laid a foundation for the development and utilization of natural products and the search for new treatments for pancreatic cancer.

Advances in the treatment of pancreatic cancer with traditional Chinese medicine

Pancreatic cancer is a common malignancy of the digestive system. With a high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis, it is called the "king of cancers." Currently, Western medicine treats pancreatic cancer mainly by surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the curative effect is not satisfactory. The application of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of pancreatic cancer has many advantages and is becoming an important facet of comprehensive clinical treatment. In this paper, we review current therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer. We also review the protective effects shown by TCM in different models and discuss the potential molecular mechanisms of these.

Matrine Exerts Pharmacological Effects Through Multiple Signaling Pathways: A Comprehensive Review

As The main effective monomer of the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora flavescens Ait, matrine has a broad scope of pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-fibrotic, anti-viral, anti-arrhythmia, and improving immune function. These actions explain its therapeutic effects in various types of tumors, cardiopathy, encephalomyelitis, allergic asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoporosis, and central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. Evidence has shown that the mechanism responsible for the pharmacological actions of matrine may be via the activation or inhibition of certain key molecules in several cellular signaling pathways including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR), transforming growth factor-β/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (TGF-β/Smad), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Wnt (wingless/ integration 1)/β-catenin, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways. This review comprehensively summarizes recent studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of matrine to provide a theoretical basis for molecular targeted therapies and further development and utilization of matrine.

Matrine: A Promising Natural Product With Various Pharmacological Activities

Matrine is an alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora flavescens Aiton. At present, a large number of studies have proved that matrine has an anticancer effect can inhibit cancer cell proliferation, arrest cell cycle, induce apoptosis, and inhibit cancer cell metastasis. It also has the effect of reversing anticancer drug resistance and reducing the toxicity of anticancer drugs. In addition, studies have reported that matrine has a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's syndrome, encephalomyelitis, asthma, myocardial ischemia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and the like, and its mechanism is mainly related to the inhibition of inflammatory response and apoptosis. Its treatable disease spectrum spans multiple systems such as the nervous system, circulatory system, and immune system. The antidisease effect and mechanism of matrine are diverse, so it has high research value. This review summarizes recent studies on the pharmacological mechanism of matrine, with a view to providing reference for subsequent research.

Matrine Reverses the Warburg Effect and Suppresses Colon Cancer Cell Growth via Negatively Regulating HIF-1α

The Warburg effect is a peculiar feature of cancer’s metabolism, which is an attractive therapeutic target that could aim tumor cells while sparing normal tissue. Matrine is an alkaloid extracted from the herb root of a traditional Chinese medicine, Sophora flavescens Ait. Matrine has been reported to have selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells but with elusive mechanisms. Here, we reported that matrine was able to reverse the Warburg effect (inhibiting glucose uptake and lactate production) and suppress the growth of human colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that matrine significantly decreased the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of HIF-1α, a critical transcription factor in reprogramming cancer metabolism toward the Warburg effect. As a result, the expression levels of GLUT1, HK2, and LDHA, the downstream targets of HIF-1α in regulating glucose metabolism, were dramatically inhibited by matrine. Moreover, this inhibitory effect of matrine was significantly attenuated when HIF-1α was knocked down or exogenous overexpressed in colon cancer cells. Together, our results revealed that matrine inhibits colon cancer cell growth via suppression of HIF-1α expression and its downstream regulation of Warburg effect. Matrine could be further developed as an antitumor agent targeting the HIF-1α-mediated Warburg effect for colon cancer treatment.

Matrine inhibits the development and progression of ovarian cancer by repressing cancer associated phosphorylation signaling pathways

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.

Matrine suppression of self-renewal was dependent on regulation of LIN28A/Let-7 pathway in breast cancer stem cells

Matrine, a natural product extracted from the root of Sophora flavescens Ait, was the main chemical ingredient of compounds of Kushen injection, which has been widely used for its remarkable anticancer effects for years. The underlying mechanisms for Matrine regulations of human breast cancer stem cells (BrCSCs) are barely known. LIN28, a well-characterized suppressor of Let-7 microRNA biogenesis, playing vital roles in regulations of stem cells' renewal and tumorigenesis. Here we show that the compounds of Kushen injection derived Matrine could suppress the BrCSCs differentiation and self-renewal through downregulating the expression of Lin28A, resulting in the inactivation of Wnt pathway through a Let-7b-dependent way. In opposite to Matrine, Cisplatin treatment increases the ability of tumorsphere formation and the expression of BrCSCs markers, which was partially blocked by either Let-7b overexpression or CCND1 inhibition. Furthermore, Matrine sensitized BrCSCs to cisplatin's suppression of cancer expansion in vitro and in vivo. Our study uncovers the role of the LIN28A/Let-7 in BrCSCs renewal, and more importantly, elucidated a novel mechanism by which Matrine induces breast cancer involution.

Luteolin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human melanoma cells in vivo and in vitro by suppressing MMP-2 and MMP-9 through the PI3K/AKT pathway

Since the incidence rate of malignant melanoma is increasing annually, development of drugs against melanoma cell metastasis has become more urgent. Luteolin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, is abundant in our daily dietary intake and exhibits a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties. However, the potential anti-cancer role of luteolin in melanoma cells has not been fully investigated. In this study, we have explored whether luteolin inhibits the migration and invasion of A375 human melanoma cells and further elucidated the underlying anti-cancer molecular mechanism of luteolin in melanoma cells. A proliferation assay, flow cytometry and an apoptosis assay were applied to detect the effect of luteolin on the growth and apoptosis of A375 cells. Wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay were used to explore the impact of luteolin on the migration and invasion of A375 cells. Real-time quantitative PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence analysis were used to investigate the effects of luteolin on the expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9 and PI3K/AKT1 in A375 cells. A xenograft tumor animal model was used to investigate the anti-cancer effect of luteolin on the growth of the A375 cells in vivo. Our data indicated that luteolin significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of A375 cells and induced the apoptosis of A375 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, luteolin reduced the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and increased the expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. Furthermore, luteolin significantly inhibited the tumor growth of A375 cells in a xenograft mouse model. The immunofluorescence and immunoblotting assays indicated that luteolin inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT1 and PI3K. In conclusion, both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that luteolin inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of A375 human melanoma cells by reducing the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Overall, luteolin can be considered as a promising anti-cancer agent for the treatment of human melanoma.

Recent Advances in Herbal Medicines for Digestive System Malignancies

Herbal medicines, as an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have been used to treat digestive system malignancies (DSM) for many years, and have gradually gained recognition worldwide. The role of herbal medicines in the comprehensive treatment of DSM is being improved from adjuvant treatment of the autologous immune function in cancer patients, to the treatment of both the symptoms and disease, direct inhibition of tumor cell growth and proliferation, and induction of tumor cell autophagy and apoptosis. Their specific mechanisms in these treatments are also being explored. The paper reviews the current anti-tumor mechanisms of TCM, including single herbal medicines, Chinese herbal formulations, Chinese medicine preparations and TCM extract, and their application in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors, providing a reference for clinical application of TCM.

Research advances on anticancer activities of matrine and its derivatives: An updated overview

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.

Matrine inhibits the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells through regulation of the protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase-3β signaling pathways

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite recent advances in treatment, lung cancer remains an incurable disease. Matrine, an active compound isolated from Sophora flavescens, has been demonstrated to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of tumor cells. However, the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of matrine in lung cancer remain elusive. In the present study, the lung cancer cells H1299 and A549 were used to investigate how matrine affects the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of lung cancer cells in vitro. It was demonstrated that matrine is able to significantly suppress the proliferation and colony formation of lung cancer cells in vitro. Using cell apoptosis analysis, wound-healing and Transwell assays, it was demonstrated that matrine induced cellular apoptosis and inhibited the migration of lung cancer cells. Further experiments revealed that matrine significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). The present results suggested that matrine inhibits lung cancer cell proliferation, and induces cell apoptosis by suppressing the Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway, which demonstrated that matrine may have therapeutic potential for lung cancer.

Matrine combined with cisplatin synergistically inhibited urothelial bladder cancer cells via down-regulating VEGF/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Background

Cisplatin is one of the first-line drugs for urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) treatment. However, its considerable side effects and the emergence of drug resistance are becoming major limitations for its application. This study aimed to investigate whether matrine and cisplatin could present a synergistic anti-tumor effect on UBC cells.

Methods

Cell viability assay was used to assess the suppressive effect of matrine and cisplatin on the proliferation of the UBC cells. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were applied respectively to determine the migration and invasion ability of the cells. The distribution of cell cycles, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the apoptosis rate were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The expressions of the relative proteins in apoptotic signal pathways and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) related genes were surveyed by western blotting. The binding modes of the drugs within the proteins were detected by CDOCKER module in DS 2.5.

Results

Both matrine and cisplatin could inhibit the growth of the UBC cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. When matrine combined with cisplatin at the ratio of 2000:1, they presented a synergistic inhibitory effect on the UBC cells. The combinative treatment could impair cell migration and invasion ability, arrest cell cycle in the G1 and S phases, increase the level of ROS, and induce apoptosis in EJ and T24 cells in a synergistic way. In all the treated groups, the expressions of E-cadherin, β-catenin, Bax, and Cleaved Caspase-3 were up-regulated, while the expressions of Fibronectin, Vimentin, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, p-Akt, p-PI3K, VEGFR2, and VEGF proteins were down-regulated, and among them, the combination of matrine and cisplatin showed the most significant difference. Molecular docking algorithms predicted that matrine and cisplatin could be docked into the same active sites and interact with different residues within the tested proteins.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that the combination of matrine and cisplatin could synergistically inhibit the UBC cells’ proliferation through down-regulating VEGF/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, indicating that matrine may serve as a new option in the combinative therapy in the treatment of UBC.

Antitumor effects of matrine on cancer stem like cells isolated from the human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cell line

The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) is regarded as the cause of tumor formation and recurrence. Matrine has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects in cancer cells. In the present study, a preliminary study was performed on the mechanisms of matrine on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stem-like cells. The HCC SMMC-7721 cell line was cultured in tumor stem cell-specific medium to form spheres, and different concentrations (1, 2 and 5 mg/kg) of cisplatin were then used in order to purify the most drug-resistant cells, which were used as CSLCs. An MTT assay was performed to detect the inhibitory effects of matrine against CSLC proliferation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect changes in cell adhesion regulating gene (CAR), E-cadherin, laminin and fibronectin. As a result, using tryptose sulfite cycloserine medium culture and cisplatin-resistance screening, CSLCs were successfully isolated from the SMMC-7721 cell line. Matrine inhibited the proliferation of CSLCs in vitro. The results of qPCR and western blot analysis demonstrated that matrine upregulated the expression of CAR, E-cadherin, laminin and fibronectin in CSLCs compared with the control treatment. A certain concentration of matrine exhibited antitumor effects on HCC stem like cells.

Matrine suppresses the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells by inhibiting PAX2-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the major cause of deaths among all the cancer types worldwide. Most of the NSCLC is diagnosed at an advanced stage and the 5-year overall survival rate is low. The reason for the low survival rate of patients with NSCLC is mainly due to distant metastasis. Matrine, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown a significant anti-proliferation and anti-invasive effect in tumors. However, little is known on the anti-invasive mechanism of matrine in lung cancer. Therefore, we tried to investigate the molecular mechanism of matrine on the invasive ability of NSCLC cells in vitro. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to evaluate the cell viability. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration and invasion abilities. Microarray assay was used to analyze the differentiated expression genes with or without matrine treatment. Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction were applied to detect the expressions of PAX2, E-cadherin and N-cadherin. Our study showed that matrine could suppress the proliferative activity of NSCLC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Further investigation discovered that the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were significantly inhibited by treatment with different concentrations of matrine. Microarray assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting showed that matrine could significantly decrease the expression of PAX2. In addition, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and related proteins were decreased. In conclusion, matrine may block PAX2 expression to interfere with epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling pathway that ultimately inhibit the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro. Matrine might serve as a potential agent for NSCLC treatment.

Cleistanthin A inhibits the invasion and metastasis of human melanoma cells by inhibiting the expression of matrix metallopeptidase-2 and -9

It has been demonstrated that numerous types of metastatic cancer overexpress vacuolar-type H⁺ (V)-ATPases. It may be possible to inhibit the growth and metastasis of human cancer cells by inhibiting V-ATPases. It was previously reported that diphyllin, a novel V-ATPase inhibitor, can inhibit the migration and invasion of SGC7901 human gastric cancer cells; however, the effects of cleistanthin A (CA), a diphyllin glycoside, on melanoma cells has not been demonstrated. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of CA as a V-ATPase inhibitor and its effects on the invasion and metastasis of A375 cells. The results of an MTT assay in the present study indicated that the growth inhibition of A375 cells by CA was induced in a dose- and time-dependent manner; however, A375 cell viability was not significantly affected by low concentrations (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 µM) after 24 h. Similar results were obtained by viable cell counting with trypan blue. Therefore, these concentrations of CA were selected for the treatment of A375 cells in further experiments. It was demonstrated that CA inhibited the expression of V-ATPases in a dose-dependent manner and decreased the internal pH level of A375 cells. Alterations to the lysosomal pH were associated with the CA concentration. Furthermore, CA treatment induced a significant decrease in cell migration and invasion, as demonstrated with wound-healing and Transwell assays. Gelatin zymography and western blot analysis demonstrated that the expression levels of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2 and -9 decreased following CA treatment. Therefore, CA can be characterized as a novel V-ATPase inhibitor for the treatment of melanoma that may inhibit invasion and metastasis by downregulating the expression of MMP-2 and -9.

Identification of Annexin A2 as a target protein for plant alkaloid matrine

The cellular target of matrine is identified.