YangZheng XiaoJi exerts anti-tumour growth effects by antagonising the effects of HGF and its receptor, cMET, in human lung cancer cells

Anticancer activities of TCM and their active components against tumor metastasis

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of multiple targets, slight side effects and good therapeutic effects. Good anti-tumor effects are shown by Traditional Chinese Medicine prescription, Chinese patent medicine, single Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine monomer compound. Clinically, TCM prolonged the survival time of patients and improved the life quality of patients, due to less side effects. Cancer metastasis is a complex process involving numerous steps, multiple genes and their products. During the process of tumor metastasis, firstly, cancer cell increases its proliferative capacity by reducing autophagy and apoptosis, and then the cancer cell capacity is stimulated by increasing the ability of tumors to absorb nutrients from the outside through angiogenesis. Both of the two steps can increase tumor migration and invasion. Finally, the purpose of tumor metastasis is achieved. By inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis of tumor cells, angiogenesis and EMT outside the tumor can inhibit the invasion and migration of cancer, and consequently achieve the purpose of inhibiting tumor metastasis. This review explores the research achievements of Traditional Chinese Medicine on breast cancer, lung cancer, hepatic carcinoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and other cancer metastasis in the past five years, summarizes the development direction of TCM on cancer metastasis research in the past five years and makes a prospect for the future.

Effect of the Chinese Medicine YangZheng XiaoJi on Reducing Fatigue in Mice with Orthotopic Transplantation of Colon Cancer

Background

Fatigue is a common, distressing, and persistent symptom for patients with malignant tumor including colorectal cancer (CRC). Although studies of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) have sprung out in recent years, the pathophysiological mechanisms that induce CRF remain unclear, and effective therapeutic interventions have yet to be established.

Methods

To investigate the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine YangZheng XiaoJi (YZXJ) on CRF, we constructed orthotopic colon cancer mice, randomly divided into YZXJ group and control (NS) group. Physical or mental fatigue was respectively assessed by swimming exhaustion time or suspension tail resting time. At the end of the experiment, serum was collected to measure the expression level of inflammatory factors by ELISA and feces to microbiota changes by 16s rDNA, and hepatic glycogen content was detected via the anthrone method.

Result

The nutritional status of the YZXJ group was better than that of the control group, and there was no statistical difference in tumor weight. The swimming exhaustion times of YZXJ group and control group were (162.80 ± 14.67) s and (117.60 ± 13.42, P < 0.05) s, respectively; the suspension tail resting time of YZXJ group was shorter than that of the control group (49.85 ± 4.56) s and (68.83 ± 7.26) s, P < 0.05)). Serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in YZXJ group were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05). Liver glycogen in YZXJ group was (5.18 ± 3.11) mg/g liver tissue, which was significantly higher than that in control group (2.95 ± 2.06) mg/g liver tissue (P < 0.05). At phylum level, increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria and decreased Proteobacteria in YZXJ group emerged as the top differences between the two groups, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was decreased in YZXJ group compared to the control group. At genus level, the abundance of Parabacteroides, unidentified Saprospiraceae, and Elizabethkingia which all belong to phylum Bacteroidetes were increased, while Arcobacter, Marinobacter, Alkanindiges, Sulfuricurvum, Haliangium, and Thiobacillus in phylum Proteobacteria were decreased after YZXJ intervention. YZXJ can also increase Pirellula, Microbacterium, and Alpinimonas and decrease Rubrobacter and Iamia.

Conclusion

YZXJ may reduce the physical and mental fatigue caused by colorectal cancer by inhibiting inflammatory reaction, promoting hepatic glycogen synthesis, and changing the composition of intestinal microbiota.

Isoquercitrin, ingredients in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg, inhibits hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-induced tumor cell migration and invasion

Aberrant activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) and its receptor, Met, is involved in the development and progression of many human cancers. In the screening assay of extracts from the root tuber of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg, isoquercitrin inhibited HGF/SF-Met signaling as indicated by its inhibitory activity on HGF/SF-induced cell scattering. Further analysis revealed that isoquercitrin specifically inhibited HGF/SF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Met. We also found that isoquercitrin decreased HGF-induced migration and invasion by parental or HGF/SF-transfected bladder carcinoma cell line NBT-II cells. Furthermore, isoquercitrin inhibited HGF/SF-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition in vitro and the invasion/metastasis of HGF/SF-transfected NBT-II cells in vivo. Our data suggest the possible use of isoquercitrin in human cancers associated with dysregulated HGF/SF-Met signaling.

ShenLingLan Influences the Attachment and Migration of Ovarian Cancer Cells Potentially through the GSK3 Pathway

Background: Ovarian cancer presents a major clinical challenge in the UK. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) has been linked to cancer. This study tested the impact of ShenLingLan (SLDM) on ovarian cancer cell behaviour and its links to GSK-3. Methods: Fresh ovarian tumours (n = 52) were collected and processed. Histopathologcial and clinical information were collected and analysed against GSK-3 transcript levels using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Immortalised ovarian cancer cells' protein alterations in response to SLDM were identified using a Kinexus™ protein kinase array. The effects of SLDM and a combination of SLDM and TWS119 on ovarian cancer cells ability to attach and migrate were evaluated using electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). Results: Transcript expression of GSK-3β was significantly increased in ovarian tumours which were poorly differentiated, patients with recurrence and in patients who had died from ovarian cancer. Treating SKOV-3 ovarian cells with SLDM reduced GSK-3 expression and GSK-3α (Y279). Treatment with SLDM reduced ovarian cancer cells ability to attach and migrate, which was further reduced in the presence of TWS119. Conclusions: This study identified a potential mechanism by which SLDM may exert anti-metastatic effects. Further work is needed to investigate the in vivo effects SLDM has on ovarian tumours.

Heat shock protein 27 is a potential indicator for response to YangZheng XiaoJi and chemotherapy agents in cancer cells

Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is a member of the heat shock protein family which has been linked to tumour progression and, most interestingly, to chemotherapy resistance in cancer patients. The present study examined the potential interplay between HSP27 and YangZheng XiaoJi, a traditional Chinese medicine used in cancer treatment. A range of cell lines from different tumour types including pancreatic, lung, gastric, colorectal, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer (both wild-type and resistant) were used. Levels and activation of HSP27 and its potential associated signalling pathways were evaluated by protein array and western blotting. Knockdown of HSP27 in cancer cells was achieved using siRNA. Localisation and co-localisation of HSP27 and other proteins were carried out by immunofluorescence. Cell growth and migration were evaluated in their response to a range of chemotherapeutic agents. The present study first identified, by way of protein array, that YangZheng XiaoJi was able to inhibit the phosphorylation of HSP27 protein in cancer cells. We further demonstrated that HSP27, which is co-localised with caspase-9, can be blocked from localising in focal adhesions and co-localising with caspase-9 by YangZheng XiaoJi. The study also demonstrated that YangZheng XiaoJi was able to sensitise cancer cells including those cells that were resistant to chemotherapy, to chemotherapeutic agents. Finally, knocking down HSP27 markedly reduced the migration of cancer cells and increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to the inhibitory effect on cellular migration by YangZheng XiaoJi. YangZheng XiaoJi can act as an agent in first sensitising cancer cells to chemotherapy and secondly to overcome, to some degree, chemoresistance when used in an appropriate fashion in patients who have active HSP27.