Sparstolonin B, a novel plant derived compound, arrests cell cycle and induces apoptosis in N-myc amplified and N-myc nonamplified neuroblastoma cells

The Toll-like Receptor-2/4 Antagonist, Sparstolonin B, and Inflammatory Diseases: A Literature Mining and Network Analysis

BACKGROUND

Sparstolonin B (SsnB) is characterized as a new toll-like receptor (TLR)-2/4 antagonist. However, the effects of SsnB on different inflammatory diseases have not been systemically reviewed.

METHODS

We investigated the effects of SsnB on inflammatory diseases with data mining and network analysis of literature, including frequency description, cluster analysis, association rule mining, functional enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) mining.

RESULTS

A total of 27 experimental reports were included. The ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines were used to evaluate the quality of animal studies. Frequency analysis revealed 13 different diseases (cardio-cerebrovascular system diseases account for 23.53%), 12 pharmacological effects (anti-inflammatory effect accounts for 53.85%), and 67 therapeutic targets. The overview of investigation sequence of SsnB studies was depicted by Sankey diagram. Cluster analysis classified the therapeutic targets for SsnB into four main categories: (1) NF-κB; (2) IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α; (3) TLR2, TLR4, and MyD88; (4) the other targets. Moreover, the Apriori association discovered two main association pairs: (1) TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and (2) TLR2, TLR4, and MyD88 (support range 33.33-50%, confidence range 83.33-88.89%). Functional enrichment of the therapeutic targets for SsnB showed that the top enriched items in the biological process were mainly the response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/bacterial origin and regulation of cytokine production. Finally, the PPI network and hub gene selection by maximal clique centrality (MCC) algorithm indicated the top ranked proteins were TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, AKT1, PPAR-γ, TLR4, CCL2, and TLR2.

CONCLUSION

These results emphasized the importance of TLR2/TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB-IL-1β/IL-6/TNF-α pathways as therapeutic targets of SsnB in inflammatory diseases.

Small-Molecule Modulators Targeting Toll-like Receptors for Potential Anticancer Therapeutics

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key components of the innate immune system and serve as a crucial link between innate and acquired immunity. In addition to immune function, TLRs are involved in other important pathological processes, including tumorigenesis. TLRs have dual regulatory effects on tumor immunity by activating nuclear factor κ-B signaling pathways, which induce tumor immune evasion or enhance the antitumor immune response. Therefore, TLRs have become a popular target for cancer prevention and treatment, and TLR agonists and antagonists offer considerable potential for drug development. The TLR7 agonist imiquimod (1) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for malignant skin cancer. Herein, the structure, signaling pathways, and function of the TLR family are summarized, and the structure-activity relationships associated with TLR selective and multitarget modulators and their potential application in tumor therapy are systematically discussed.

Dual Targeting of PI3K and HDAC by CUDC-907 Inhibits Pediatric Neuroblastoma Growth

Simple Summary

High-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive cancer of very young children and accounts for almost 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths. Current therapies include high-dose chemotherapy and radiation, which have long-term toxic side effects. Despite these intensive therapies, the overall 5-year survival rate of NB is less than 50%. Therefore, developing novel therapeutic approaches targeting the molecular mechanisms that drive NB progression is very important. In the present study, we repurpose CUDC-907, a dual inhibitor of PI3K and histone deacetylases. These regulators are known to regulate MYCN expression, a key prognostic marker of NB. CUDC-907 potently inhibits NB growth and 3D spheroid tumor growth by inhibiting PI3K, HDAC, and MYCN. Overall, our pre-clinical data demonstrate that repurposing CUDC-907 as a single drug is a novel and effective therapeutic approach for NB.

Abstract

The dysregulation of PI3K, HDACs, and MYCN are well known for promoting multiple cancer types, including neuroblastoma (NB). Targeting the upstream regulators of MYCN, including HDACs and PI3K, was shown to suppress cancer growth. In the present study, we analyze different NB patient datasets to reveal that high PI3K and HDAC expression is correlated with overall poor NB patient survival. High PI3K level is also found to be associated with high MYCN level and NB stage progression. We repurpose a dual inhibitor CUDC-907 as a single agent to directly target both PI3K and HDAC in NB. We use in vitro methodologies to determine the efficacy and selectivity of CUDC-907 using six NB and three control fibroblast cell lines. Our results show that CUDC-907 significantly inhibits NB proliferation and colony growth, induces apoptosis, blocks cell cycle progression, inhibits MYCN, and enhances H3K9Ac levels by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and HDAC function. Furthermore, CUDC-907 significantly inhibits NB tumor growth in a 3D spheroid tumor model that recapitulates the in vivo tumor growth. Overall, our findings highlight that the dual inhibition of PI3K and HDAC by CUDC-907 is an effective therapeutic strategy for NB and other MYC-dependent cancers.

Sparstolonin B exerts beneficial effects on prostate cancer by acting on the reactive oxygen species-mediated PI3K/AKT pathway

Prostate cancer is a major health concern in males worldwide, owing to its high incidence. Sparstolonin B (SsnB), a component of the Chinese herbal medicine Sparganium stoloniferum, is used to treat many diseases. However, the effects and mechanisms of action of SsnB in prostate cancer have not yet been reported. In this study, we evaluated the effects of SsnB on cellular processes and tumour growth. In particular, we verified that SsnB could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells and induce apoptosis by activating G2/M phase arrest in vitro based on a series of cytological experiments. In vivo, we found that SsnB could inhibit tumour growth in nude mouse xenograft models. We further confirmed that SsnB could repress the PI3K/AKT pathway by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and oxidative stress. Collectively, SsnB inhibits tumour growth and induces apoptosis in prostate cancer via the suppression of the ROS‐mediated PI3K/AKT pathway and may be a new alternative to adjuvant therapy for prostate cancer.

Sparstolonin B: A Unique Anti-Inflammatory Agent

Toll-like receptors are transmembrane proteins which sense and transmit infectious and inflammatory responses to the cells expressing them. Therapeutic strategies for the blockade of excessive Toll-like receptor signaling are being actively pursued for several diseases. Recently, Sparstolonin B, isolated from Chinese herb, which suppresses selectively Toll-like receptors has been studied in various inflammatory models. The objective of this review is to summarize the current literature regarding the use of Sparstolonin B in various in vitro and in vivo studies and to provide an overview regarding the potential use of this agent in different inflammatory diseases. Additionally, the current knowledge regarding the role of Toll-like receptors in inflammatory disease and the usage of various Toll-like receptor antagonists will be summarized. Based on our review, we believe Sparstolonin B could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory disorders.

Neuroblastoma: An Updated Review on Biology and Treatment

BACKGROUND

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the second leading extracranial solid tumors of early childhood and clinically characterized by the presence of round, small, monomorphic cells with excess nuclear pigmentation (hyperchromasia).Owing to a lack of definitive treatment against NB and less survival rate in high-risk patients, there is an urgent requirement to understand molecular mechanisms associated with NB in a better way, which in turn can be utilized for developing drugs towards the treatment of NB in human.

OBJECTIVES

In this review, an approach was adopted to understand major risk factors, pathophysiology, the molecular mechanism associated with NB, and various therapeutic agents that can serve as drugs towards the treatment of NB in humans.

CONCLUSION

Numerous genetic (e.g., MYCN amplification), perinatal, and gestational factors are responsible for developing NB. However, no definite environmental or parental exposures responsible for causing NB have been confirmed to date. Though intensive multimodal treatment approaches, namely, chemotherapy, surgery & radiation, may help in improving the survival rate in children, these approaches have several side effects and do not work efficiently in high-risk patients. However, recent studies suggested that numerous phytochemicals, namely, vincristine, and matrine have a minimal side effect in the human body and may serve as a therapeutic drug during the treatment of NB. Most of these phytochemicals work in a dose-dependent manner and hence must be prescribed very cautiously. The information discussed in the present review will be useful in the drug discovery process as well as treatment and prevention on NB in humans.

Sparstolonin B (SsnB) attenuates liver fibrosis via a parallel conjugate pathway involving P53-P21 axis, TGF-beta signaling and focal adhesion that is TLR4 dependent

SsnB previously showed a promising role to lessen liver inflammation observed in a mouse model of NAFLD. Since NAFLD can progress to fibrosis, studies were designed to unravel its role in attenuating NAFLD associated fibrosis. Using both in vivo and in vitro approaches, the study probed the possible mechanisms that underlined the role of SsnB in mitigating fibrosis. Mechanistically, SsnB, a TLR4 antagonist, decreased TLR4-PI3k akt signaling by upregulating PTEN protein expression. It also decreased MDM2 protein activation and increased p53 and p21 gene and protein expression. SsnB also downregulated pro-fibrogenic hedgehog signaling pathway, inhibited hepatic stellate cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in hepatic stellate cells, a mechanism that was LPS dependent. Further, SsnB decreased fibrosis by antagonizing TLR4 induced TGFβ signaling pathway. Alternatively, SsnB augmented BAMBI (a TGFβ pseudo-receptor) expression in mice liver by inhibiting TLR4 signaling pathway and thus reduced TGFβ signaling, resulting in decreased hepatic stellate cell activation and extracellular matrix deposition. In vitro experiments on human hepatic stellate cell line showed that SsnB increased gene and protein expression of BAMBI. It also decreased nuclear co-localization of phospho SMAD2/3 and SMAD4 protein and thus attenuated TGFβ signaling in vitro. We also observed a significant decrease in phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 protein, decreased STAT3 activation, alteration of focal adhesion protein and stress fiber disassembly upon SsnB administration in hepatic stellate cells which further confirmed the antagonistic effect of SsnB on TLR4-induced fibrogenesis.

Identifying Chinese Herbal Medicine Network for Endometriosis: Implications from a Population-Based Database in Taiwan

Background

Endometriosis is a common but bothersome gynecological disease, and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is used for treating endometriosis. The aim of this study is to explore CHM network and core treatments for endometriosis by analyzing nationwide CHM prescription database.

Methods

From 1998 to 2013, the CHM prescriptions made primarily for endometriosis among women diagnosed with endometriosis (ICD-9-CM code: 671) by gynecologists during their reproductive age were collected. CHM network analysis was then carried out by using association rule mining and social network analysis.

Results

A total of 12,986 CHM prescriptions made for endometriosis were analyzed. There were 556 kinds of CHM ever used, and, in average, each prescription was composed of 6.2 CHMs. Gui-Zhi-Fu-Ling-Wan (GZFLW) was used most frequently, followed by Cyperus rotundus (28.1% and 18.8% of all prescriptions, resp.). Additionally, the combination of Cyperus rotundus with GZFLW (8.0%) was the most frequently used combination of two CHMs. CHM network showed that GZFLW was the core CHM for endometriosis and graphically demonstrated the extensive coverage of TCM syndromes and pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Conclusions

CHM network provides graphical demonstration and summary of commonly used CHMs for endometriosis, and further studies are warranted based on these findings.

Colony, hanging drop, and methylcellulose three dimensional hypoxic growth optimization of renal cell carcinoma cell lines

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most lethal of the common urologic malignancies, comprising 3% of all human neoplasms, and the incidence of kidney cancer is rising annually. We need new approaches to target tumor cells that are resistant to current therapies and that give rise to recurrence and treatment failure. In this study, we focused on low oxygen tension and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture incorporation to develop a new RCC growth model. We used the hanging drop and colony formation methods, which are common in 3D culture, as well as a unique methylcellulose (MC) method. For the experiments, we used human primary RCC cell lines, metastatic RCC cell lines, human kidney cancer stem cells, and human healthy epithelial cells. In the hanging drop assay, we verified the potential of various cell lines to create solid aggregates in hypoxic and normoxic conditions. With the semi-soft agar method, we also determined the ability of various cell lines to create colonies under different oxygen conditions. Different cell behavior observed in the MC method versus the hanging drop and colony formation assays suggests that these three assays may be useful to test various cell properties. However, MC seems to be a particularly valuable alternative for 3D cell culture, as its higher efficiency of aggregate formation and serum independency are of interest in different areas of cancer biology.

Chemical constituents from the tubers of Scirpus yagara and their anti-inflammatory activities

A new natural compound, dehydrophyllodulcin (1) was isolated from the tubers of Scirpus yagara, together with 11 known compounds. Among them, compounds 2, 5-8, and 10-12 were isolated from this plant for the first time. (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and 2D NMR data of compound 1 are first reported in this article, though it was synthesized in 1996. The structures of all compounds were determined by comprehensive analyses of their spectroscopic data and compared with literature information. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, and 9 against inflammatory cytokines production in Lipopolysaccharide - or Pam3csk4-stimulated macrophage RAW264.7 cells were evaluated by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. And these compounds significantly inhibited the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 productions in RAW264.7 cells, with IC50 values less than 20 μM.

Sparstolonin B attenuates early liver inflammation in experimental NASH by modulating TLR4 trafficking in lipid rafts via NADPH oxidase activation

Although significant research data exist on the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), finding an efficient treatment regimen for it remains elusive. The present study used sparstolonin B (SsnB), a novel TLR4 antagonist derived from the Chinese herb Sparganium stoloniferum, as a possible drug to mitigate early inflammation in NASH. This study used an early steatohepatitic injury model in high-fat-fed mice with CYP2E1-mediated oxidative stress as a second hit. SsnB was administered for 1 wk along with bromodichloromethane (BDCM), an inducer of CYP2E1-mediated oxidative stress. Results showed that SsnB administration attenuated inflammatory morphology and decreased elevation of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Mice administered SsnB also showed decreased mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-23, while protein levels of both TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly decreased. SsnB significantly decreased Kupffer cell activation as evidenced by reduction in CD68 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1) mRNA and protein levels with concomitant inhibition of macrophage infiltration in the injured liver. Mechanistically, SsnB decreased TLR4 trafficking to the lipid rafts, a phenomenon described by the colocalization of TLR4 and lipid raft marker flotillin in tissues and immortalized Kupffer cells. Since we have shown previously that NADPH oxidase drives TLR4 trafficking in NASH, we studied the role of SsnB in modulating this pathway. SsnB prevented NADPH oxidase activation in vivo and in vitro as indicated by decreased peroxynitrite formation. In summary, the present study reports a novel use of the TLR4 antagonist SsnB in mitigating inflammation in NASH and in parallel shows a unique molecular mechanism of decreasing nitrative stress.

A serine protease extracted from Trichosanthes kirilowii induces apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT-mediated mitochondrial pathway in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells

A novel protein TKP extracted from T. kirilowii fruit exerted potential anti-colorectal cancer activity by inducing apoptosis, which was regulated by the PI3K/AKT-mediated mitochondria-dependent pathway.

Simultaneous HPLC Quantitative Analysis of Nine Bioactive Constituents in Scirpus Yagara Ohwi. (Cyperaceae)

The tuber of Scirpus yagara Ohwi. (Cyperaceae) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Several chemical constituents isolated from it possess a variety of physiologically activities such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antioxidant. A simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was developed and validated for the determination of nine active components in tubers and aerial parts of S. yagara. The analysis was performed on a YMC-Pack ODS-A column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm, 30 nm) with a multilinear gradient mobile phase of water-formic acid (100 : 0.2, v/v) and methanol. The established HPLC method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, recovery and stability. All analyzed components were detected in the whole tested samples, and the contents of most components in the aerial parts were even higher than those in the tubers. Moreover, the best harvest period was discovered to be November, which is different from the traditional. The method developed was successfully applied for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of nine active components in S. yagara.

Metformin impairs Rho GTPase signaling to induce apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells and inhibits growth of tumors in the xenograft mouse model of neuroblastoma

Metformin has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in xenograft rodent models of adult cancers, and various human clinical trials are in progress. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of metformin action are largely unknown. In the present study we examined the anti-tumor activity of metformin against neuroblastoma, and determined the underlying signaling mechanisms. Using human neuroblastoma xenograft mice, we demonstrated that oral administration of metformin (100 and 250 mg/kg body weight) significantly inhibited the growth of tumors. The interference of metformin in spheroid formation further confirmed the anti-tumor activity of metformin. In tumors, the activation of Rac1 (GTP-Rac1) and Cdc42 (GTP-Cdc42) was increased while RhoA activation (GTP-RhoA) was decreased by metformin. It also induced phosphorylation of JNK and inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 without affecting p38 MAP Kinase. Infection of cells by adenoviruses expressing dominant negative Rac1 (Rac1-N17), Cdc42 (Cdc42-N17) or constitutively active RhoA (RhoA-V14), or incubation of cells with pharmacological inhibitors of Rac1 (NSC23766) or Cdc42 (ML141) significantly protected neuroblastoma cells from metformin-induced apoptosis. Additionally, inhibition of JNK activity along with Rac1 or Cdc42 attenuated cytotoxic effects of metformin. These studies demonstrated that metformin impairs Rho GTPases signaling to induce apoptosis via JNK pathway.

Determination of sparstolonin B by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry: application to pharmacokinetic study of sparstolonin B in rat plasma

Sparstolonin B (SsnB), a spontaneous isocoumarin compound isolated from the tuber of Scirpus yagara Ohwi. (Cyperaceae), possesses potent anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity. In the present study, a rapid and simple UHPLC/MS/MS method for determination of SsnB in rat plasma was developed and validated. Plasma samples were pretreated by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate containing rhein as an internal standard and separated on a C18 column at 35 °C, with a gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water containing 0.2% (v/v) formic acid within 2.1 min. MS/MS detection was accomplished in multiple reaction monitoring mode with negative electrospray ionization. The precursor-product ion transitions were m/z 266.9 [M-H](-)  → m/z 211.0 for SsnB and m/z 283.2 [M-H](-)  → m/z 239.0 for IS. The intra- and inter-day precision (RSD) was <8.98% and the accuracy (RE) ranged from -7.40 to 4.50%. The extraction recoveries ranged from 96.28 to 97.30%. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using Win Nonlin53 software. The absolute bioavailability of SsnB was estimated to be 6.98%. The proposed method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of SsnB in rats after intravenous administration with a dose of 0.5 mg/kg and oral administration at a dose of 5 mg/kg.