Ganoderic Acid A suppresses the phenotypic modulation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells through the inactivation of PI3K/Akt pathway in pulmonary arterial hypertension

The effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract on sensitizing prostate cancer cells to flutamide and docetaxel: an in vitro study

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide is the most widely used complementary therapy in cancer. The present study aims to investigate the possible interaction between Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide and Docetaxel (a chemotherapy drug) and the first-line medication for prostate cancer treatment (Flutamide) and sensitizing the cells to these treatments. The cytotoxic effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide in combination with Docetaxel and Flutamide on prostate cancer cells were investigated by the MTT test, Hoechst staining, and flow cytometry. In addition, the expression of genes related to apoptosis, angiogenesis, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition pathway (EMT), and prostate cancer biomarkers by Real-Time PCR was investigated. The results demonstrated that IC50 values for Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide (30 μM and 20 μM), Docetaxel (10 μM and 5 μM), and Flutamide (20 μM and 12 μM) with MTT were confirmed by flow cytometry in a dose and time-dependent manner. Regarding the high efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide in combination with Flutamide and Docetaxel, 10 μM and 5 μM Flutamide were used instead of 20 μM and 12 μM and 5 μM and 2 μM Docetaxel was used instead of 10 μM and 5 μM in PC3 and LNCap, respectively. Moreover, for the first time, it was shown that Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide alone and in combination with Docetaxel and Flutamide significantly augmented apoptosis, reduced cell migration and colonization, and downregulated expression of KLK2 and EMT pathway genes in both PC3 and LNCap cell line (P < 0.01). Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide synergistically increased the effect of Docetaxel and Flutamide and increased the sensitivity of the prostate cancer cell lines to these drugs. Therefore, it may provide a new therapeutic strategy against prostate cancer.

Inhibitors of Mitochondrial Dynamics Mediated by Dynamin-Related Protein 1 in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic, lethal pulmonary disease characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling. It leads to malignant results, such as rupture of pulmonary arterial dissection, dyspnea, right heart failure, and even death. Previous studies have confirmed that one of the main pathological changes of this disease is abnormal mitochondrial dynamics, which include mitochondrial fission, fusion, and autophagy that keep a dynamic balance under certain physiological state. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), the key molecule in mitochondrial fission, mediates mitochondrial fission while also affecting mitochondrial fusion and autophagy through numerous pathways. There are various abnormalities of Drp1 in PAH pathophysiology, including Drp1 overexpression and activation as well as an upregulation of its outer mitochondrial membrane ligands. These aberrant alterations will eventually induce the development of PAH. With the process of recent studies, the structure and function of Drp1 have been gradually revealed. Meanwhile, inhibitors targeting this pathway have also been discovered. This review aims to shed more light on the mechanism of Drp1 and its inhibitors in the abnormal mitochondrial dynamics of PAH. Furthermore, it seeks to provide more novel insights to clinical therapy.