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Shen LW, Jiang XX, Li ZQ, Li J, Wang M, Jia GF, Ding X, Lei L, Gong QH, Gao N. Cepharanthine sensitizes human triple negative breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agent epirubicin via inducing cofilin oxidation-mediated mitochondrial fission and apoptosis. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:177-193. [PMID: 34294886 PMCID: PMC8724299 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00715-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of autophagy has been accepted as a promising therapeutic strategy in cancer, but its clinical application is hindered by lack of effective and specific autophagy inhibitors. We previously identified cepharanthine (CEP) as a novel autophagy inhibitor, which inhibited autophagy/mitophagy through blockage of autophagosome-lysosome fusion in human breast cancer cells. In this study we investigated whether and how inhibition of autophagy/mitophagy by cepharanthine affected the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agent epirubicin in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells in vitro and in vivo. In human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells, application of CEP (2 μM) greatly enhanced cepharanthine-induced inhibition on cell viability and colony formation. CEP interacted with epirubicin synergistically to induce apoptosis in TNBC cells via the mitochondrial pathway. We demonstrated that co-administration of CEP and epirubicin induced mitochondrial fission in MDA-MB-231 cells, and the production of mitochondrial superoxide was correlated with mitochondrial fission and apoptosis induced by the combination. Moreover, we revealed that co-administration of CEP and epirubicin markedly increased the generation of mitochondrial superoxide, resulting in oxidation of the actin-remodeling protein cofilin, which promoted formation of an intramolecular disulfide bridge between Cys39 and Cys80 as well as Ser3 dephosphorylation, leading to mitochondria translocation of cofilin, thus causing mitochondrial fission and apoptosis. Finally, in mice bearing MDA-MB-231 cell xenografts, co-administration of CEP (12 mg/kg, ip, once every other day for 36 days) greatly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of epirubicin (2 mg/kg) as compared with administration of either drug alone. Taken together, our results implicate that a combination of cepharanthine with chemotherapeutic agents could represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-wen Shen
- grid.417409.f0000 0001 0240 6969Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563006 China
| | - Xiu-xing Jiang
- grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
| | - Zhi-qiang Li
- grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
| | - Jie Li
- grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
| | - Mei Wang
- grid.417409.f0000 0001 0240 6969Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563006 China
| | - Guan-fei Jia
- grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
| | - Xin Ding
- grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
| | - Ling Lei
- grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
| | - Qi-hai Gong
- grid.417409.f0000 0001 0240 6969Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563006 China
| | - Ning Gao
- grid.417409.f0000 0001 0240 6969Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563006 China ,grid.410570.70000 0004 1760 6682College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038 China
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Yang B, Liu Y, Li L, Deng H, Xian L. MicroRNA‑200a promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion through extensive target genes. Mol Med Rep 2020; 21:2073-2084. [PMID: 32323771 PMCID: PMC7115244 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite investigations into microRNA (miRNA) expression in esophageal cancer (EC) tissue, miRNAs that participate in EC pathogenesis and their subsequent mechanisms of action remain to be determined. The present study aimed to identify important miRNAs that contribute to EC development, and to assess miRNA biomarkers that could be used in EC diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to reanalyze EC tissue miRNA expression microarray dataset GSE113776, which was followed by in vitro verification of miRNA functions using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, western blot analysis and a dual‑luciferase reporter assay. Out of 93 miRNAs extracted, only miR‑200a was significantly increased in EC tissues. Transfection of KYSE150 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells with miR‑200a mimics significantly increased their proliferative, migratory and invasive ability, whereas the opposite cell behaviors were observed in ESCC cells transfected with a miR‑200a inhibitor. A total of six miR‑200a target genes [catenin β1 (CTNNB1), cadherin‑1 (CDH1), PTEN, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), catenin α1 (CTNNA1) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2)] were selected for further analysis based on Gene Ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, protein‑protein interaction network map data and protein expression in esophageal tissue. These target genes were downregulated under miR‑200a expression and upregulated in the presence of the miR‑200a inhibitor. The association between miR‑200a and the 3'‑untranslated region of target genes in ESCC cells was confirmed using a dual‑luciferase reporter assay. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that miR‑200a may participate in the promotion of ESCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and provided novel evidence for the direct interaction between miR‑200a and CTNNB1, CDH1, PTEN, APC, CTNNA1 and SOD2, which may contribute to the observed altered cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bian Yang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, P.R. China
| | - Yumeng Liu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, P.R. China
| | - Lipeng Li
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, P.R. China
| | - Hailong Deng
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, P.R. China
| | - Lei Xian
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, P.R. China
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