Oridonin Suppresses Human Gastric Cancer Growth in Vitro and in Vivo via Inhibition of VEGF, Integrin β3, and PCNA

In vitro identification of oridonin hybrids as potential anti-TNBC agents inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by regulation of p21, γH2AX and cleaved PARP

TNBC has been recognized as the most highly aggressive breast cancer without chemotherapeutic drugs. A collection of oridonin hybrids consisting of conventional antitumor pharmacophores including nitrogen mustards and adamantane-1-carboxylic acid were synthesized by deletion or blockade of multiple hydroxyl groups and structural rearrangement. Compound 11a showed the most promising anti-TNBC activity with nearly 15-fold more potent antiproliferative effects than oridonin against MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806. Moreover, 11a significantly inhibited HCC1806, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cell proliferation by arresting cells at the G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 11a could trigger dose-dependently early and late apoptosis in those indicated cell lines. More importantly, 11a could significantly increase p21, γH2AX and cleaved PARP accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, compound 11a exhibited better stability than oridonin in a plasma assay. Taken together, all results demonstrated that 11a may warrant further investigation as a promising anticancer drug candidate for the treatment of TNBC.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cancer Treatment

In recent years, due to advancements in medical conditions and the development of scientific research, the fundamental research of TCM antitumor treatments has progressed from the cellular level to the molecular and genetic levels. Previous studies have demonstrated the significant role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in antitumor therapy through various mechanisms and pathways. Its mechanism of action is closely associated with cancer biology across different stages. This includes inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, blocking invasion and metastasis to surrounding tissues, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, regulating immune function, maintaining genome stability, preventing mutation, and regulating cell energy metabolism. The use of TCM for eliciting antitumor effects not only has a good therapeutic effect and low side effects, it also provides a solid theoretical basis for clinical treatment and medication. This paper reviews the mechanism of the antitumor effects of TCM based on tumor characteristics. Through our review, we found that TCM not only directly inhibits tumors, but also enhances the body's immunity, thereby indirectly inducing an antitumor effect. This function aligns with the TCM theory of "strengthening the body's resistance to eliminate pathogenic factors". Furthermore, TCM will play a significant role in tumor treatment in clinical settings.

The Natural Product Oridonin as an Anticancer Agent: Current Achievements and Problems

Oridonin, an active diterpenoid isolated from traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has received a rising attention for its remarkable roles in cancer therapy. In recent years, increasing evidences have revealed that oridonin inhibits the occurrence and development of tumor cells through multiple mechanisms, including induction of apoptosis and autophagy, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of angiogenesis as well as migration and invasion. In addition, several molecular signal targets have been identified, including ROS, EGFR, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and MAPK. In this paper, we review considerable knowledge about the molecular mechanisms and signal targets of oridonin, which has been studied in recent years. It is expected that oridonin may be developed as a novel anti-tumor herbal medicine in human cancer treatment.

The signaling pathways and targets of natural products from traditional Chinese medicine treating gastric cancer provide new candidate therapeutic strategies

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the severe malignancies with high incidence and mortality, especially in Eastern Asian countries. Significant advancements have been made in diagnosing and treating GC over the past few decades, resulting in tremendous improvements in patient survival. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has garnered considerable attention as an alternative therapeutic approach for GC due to its multicomponent and multitarget characteristics. Consequently, natural products found in TCM have attracted researchers' attention, as growing evidence suggests that these natural products can impede GC progression by regulating various biological processes. Nevertheless, their molecular mechanisms are not systematically uncovered. Here, we review the major signaling pathways involved in GC development. Additionally, clinical GC samples were analyzed. Moreover, the anti-GC effects of natural products, their underlying mechanisms and potential targets were summarized. These summaries are intended to facilitate further relevant research, and accelerate the clinical applications of natural products in GC treatment.

Oridonin suppresses gastric cancer SGC-7901 cell proliferation by targeting the TNF-alpha/androgen receptor/TGF-beta signalling pathway axis

Statistics provided by GLOBOCAN list gastric cancer as the sixth most common, with a mortality ranking of third highest for the year 2020. In China, a herb called Rabdosia rubescens (Hemsl.) H.Hara, has been used by local residents for the treatment of digestive tract cancer for hundreds of years. Oridonin, the main ingredient of the herb, has a curative effect for gastric cancer, but the mechanism has not been previously clarified. This study mainly aimed to investigate the role of TNF-alpha/Androgen receptor/TGF-beta signalling pathway axis in mediating the proliferation inhibition of oridonin on gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells. MTT assay, cell morphology observation assay and fluorescence assay were adopted to study the efficacy of oridonin on cell proliferation. The network pharmacology was used to predict the pathway axis regulated by oridonin. Western blot assay was adopted to verify the TNF-α/Androgen receptor/TGF-β signalling pathway axis regulation on gastric cancer by oridonin. The results showed Oridonin could inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, change cell morphology and cause cell nuclear fragmentation. A total of 11signaling pathways were annotated by the network pharmacology, among them, Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) signalling pathway, androgen receptor (AR) signalling pathway and transforming growth factor (TGF-β) signalling pathway account for the largest proportion. Oridonin can regulate the protein expression of the three signalling pathways, which is consistent with the results predicted by network pharmacology. These findings indicated that oridonin can inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells by regulating the TNF-α /AR /TGF-β signalling pathway axis.

Nanocarriers for Active Ingredients of Chinese Medicine (AIFCM) Used in Gastrointestinal Cancer Therapy

Active ingredients of Chinese medicine (AIFCM) are pharmacological substances taken from traditional Chinese medicine that show promise in treating gastrointestinal cancer. Compared with traditional chemotherapeutic drugs, AIFCM have advantages such as multi-target and multi-level treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. Nanocarriers have the following advantages, better bioavailability, passive or active targeting of tumor sites and responsive release of drugs. The use of nanocarriers for delivery of AIFCM in treatment of gastrointestinal cancer, can overcome the disadvantages of some AIFCM, such as insolubility and low bioavailability. In this review, we first outline the background on gastrointestinal cancer, main curative factors and conventional therapeutic approaches. Then, the mechanisms for AIFCM in gastrointestinal cancer therapy are presented in the following four aspects: gene regulation, immune modulation, cellular pathway transduction, and alteration of intestinal flora. Thirdly, preparation of various nanocarriers and results when combining AIFCM in gastrointestinal cancer are presented. Fourth, application of novel targeted nanocarriers and responsive nanocarriers in gastrointestinal tumors is further introduced. Finally, the application of AIFCM in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer is summarized and prospected, hoping to shed some light on the nanocarrier-bound AIFCM in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.

Potential Chemoprevention of Paeoniflorin in Colitis-associated Colorectal Cancer by Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and In Vivo Experiment

Chronic inflammation plays a positive role in the development and progression of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Medicinal plants and their extracts with anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties may be an effective treatment and prevention strategy for CAC. This research aimed to explore the potential chemoprevention of paeoniflorin (PF) for CAC by network pharmacology, molecular docking technology, and in vivo experiments. The results showed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key target of PF against CAC. In the CAC mouse model, PF increased the survival rate of mice and decreased the number and size of colon tumors. Moreover, reduced histological score of colitis and expression of Ki-67 and PCNA were observed in PF-treated mice. In addition, the chemoprevention mechanisms of PF in CAC may be associated with suppression of the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway and the IL-17 level. This research provides experimental evidence of potential chemoprevention strategies for CAC treatment.

Discovery of oridonin as a novel agonist for BRS-3

BACKGROUND

Bombesin Receptor Subtype-3 (BRS-3, Bombesin-like receptor, BB₃) is an orphan G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR). Recent studies have shown that BRS-3 played a vital role in glucose regulation, insulin secretion, and energy homeostasis. Therefore, discovering more novel exogenous ligands with diverse structures for BRS-3 will be of great importance for target validation and drug development.

PURPOSE

In this study, we aim to discover new agonists of BRS-3 from our natural compound libraries, providing a new probe to study the function of BRS-3.

STUDY DESIGN

Multiple cell-based assays and in vivo experiments were performed to identify the new ligand.

METHODS

BRS-3 overexpression cells were coupled with FLIPR assay, homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) IP-ONE assay, dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) assay, β-arrestin2 recruitment assay, and western blot to determine receptor activation and downstream signaling events. To further validate the target of BRS-3, a series of in vitro and in vivo experiences were conducted, including glucose uptake, glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) transportation in C2C12, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in mice.

RESULTS

We discovered and identified oridonin as a novel small molecule agonist of BRS-3, with a moderate affinity (EC₅₀ of 2.236 × 10^-7 M in calcium mobilization assay), specificity, and subtype selectivity. Further in vitro and in vivo tests demonstrated that oridonin exerted beneficial effects in glucose homeostasis through activating BRS-3.

CONCLUSIONS

Oridonin, as the discovered new ligand of BRS-3, provides a valuable tool compound to investigate BRS-3's function, especially for target validation in type 2 diabetes and obesity. Oridonin is promising as a lead compound in the treatment of metabolic disorders. Compared to the known agonists of BRS-3, we can take advantage of the multiple reported pharmacological activities of ODN as a natural product and assess whether these pharmacological activities are regulated by BRS-3. This may facilitate the discovery of novel functions of BRS-3.

Preparation, characterization, and anti-colon cancer activity of oridonin-loaded long-circulating liposomes

In this study, oridonin-loaded long-circulating liposomes (LC-lipo@ORI) were prepared with the ethanol injection method. Its physicochemical properties and the morphology were characterized, and its stability and release profiles were evaluated. Furthermore, its antitumor effects were studied using two in vitro cell models of colon cancer and two tumor-bearing models in nude mice. The prepared LC-lipo@ORI was quasi-spherical, with a mean particle size of 109.55 ± 2.30 nm. The zeta potential was -1.38 ± 0.21 mV, the encapsulation efficiency was 85.79%±3.25%, and the drug loading was 5.87%±0.21%. In vitro release results showed that the cumulative release rate of LC-lipo@ORI at 12 h was 63.83%. However, ORI dispersion was almost completely released after 12 h. In vitro cytotoxicity results showed that, the inhibiting effects of LC-lipo@ORI on the proliferation of two types of colon cancer cells were apparently higher than those of ORI dispersion, whereas those of the blank carrier were not noticeable. In vivo studies confirmed that, the encapsulation of LC-lipo enhanced the inhibitory effects of ORI on tumor growth. These results indicated that LC-lipo@ORI a promising formulations for colon cancer treatment.

Renoprotective Effect of Oridonin in a Mouse Model of Acute Kidney Injury via Suppression of Macrophage Involved Inflammation

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is the major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). The previous studies demonstrated that Oridonin can protect kidney against IRI-induced AKI, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. In this study, it showed that Oridonin significantly improved kidney damage, and inhibited the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and MCP-1, as well as macrophage marker F4/80 in kidney and the secretion of inflammatory cytokins in serum of AKI mice in vivo. In addition, Oridonin also effectively reduced the expression and secretion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory factors in macrophage cell line RAW264.7 in vitro. Notably, Oridonin strongly downregulated Mincle and AKT/nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling both in vivo and in vitro, and the results of cellular recovery experiments of overexpression of Mincle in macrophage suggested that Oridonin suppressed inflammatory response of macrophage through inhibiting Mincle, which may be the underlying mechanism of Oridonin improving injury in kidney of AKI mice. In summary, the above results indicated that Oridonin can protect kidney from IRI-induced inflammation and injury by inhibiting the expression of Mincle in macrophage.

The effects of vascularization on tumor development: A systematic review and meta-analysis of pre-clinical studies

PURPOSE

This review aimed to systematize and quantify the existing evidence about the effect of tumor vascularization on its growth, in preclinical studies.

METHODOLOGY

A computerized research on databases PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO was performed to identify studies that evaluate both the vascularization parameters and the development of the tumors in animal models and the mean differences were calculated through a random effects model.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review, of which, 6 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Besides tumor vascular density that all studies evaluated, 3 studies analysed the tumor perfusion, 2 studies the tumor hypoxia and 3 studies assessed the grade of vessel maturation. Most of the studies (11) related decreased tumor vascularization and a concomitant inhibition of tumor growth or metastasis development. Quantitatively, the decrease in tumor vascularization contributed to a significant decrease in the tumor growing rate of 5.23 (-9.20, -1.26).

CONCLUSION

A reduced level of tumor vascularization seems to be able to inhibit tumor growth and progression.

Ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids from Isodonis Herba activate human hair follicle dermal papilla cells proliferation via the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin transduction pathway

A methanol extract from Isodonis Herba demonstrated significant proliferative effect on human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC, % of control: 150.0 ± 2.0% at 20 µg/mL, p < 0.01). From the extract, 14 ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids (1-14), two abietane-type diterpenoids (15 and 16) and four triterpenoids (17-20) were isolated. Among the isolates, enmein (1, 160.9 ± 3.0% at 20 µM, p < 0.01), isodocarpin (2, 169.3 ± 4.9% at 5 µM, p < 0.01), nodosin (4, 160.5 ± 12.4% at 20 µM, p < 0.01), and oridonin (8, 165.4 ± 10.6% at 10 µM, p < 0.01) showed the proliferative effects. The principal component enmein (1) activated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA, upregulated the production of VEGF and increased levels of phospho-Akt, phospho-GSK-3β, and β-catenin accumulation in HFDPC, which could be the mechanism of these activate proliferation activity.

Oridonin inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by negatively regulating AKT/STAT3 signaling pathway

Oridonin, derived from Rabdosia rubescens, has exhibited anticancer activity in a variety of cancers. However, few studies have explored the effect of oridonin (ORI) on migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In our study, the results demonstrated that oridonin significantly inhibited migration and invasion of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z and HNE-1 cell lines, as depicted by wound healing and Transwell assays. In addition, oridonin increased the expression of E-Cadherin while decreased the expressions of vimentin and twist1 at the mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, oridonin also decreased cell mobility in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The subsequent results of western blotting uncovered that the phosphorylation levels of AKT and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were decreased upon oridonin treatment. Furthermore, co-treatment with the AKT activator SC-79 attenuated the anti-metastatic effect of oridonin on nasopharyngeal carcinoma and partially abolished the high expression of E-cadherin and the low expression of twist1 mediated by oridonin. In conclusion, the results revealed that oridonin could repress metastatic phenotype and reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by negatively regulating AKT/STAT3 signaling pathway, suggesting that AKT/STAT3 signaling may be the potential therapeutic target of oridonin against nasopharyngeal carcinoma.