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Wang H, Nie C, Luo M, Bai Q, Yao Z, Lv H, Chen B, Wang J, Xu W, Wang S, Chen X. Novel GSH-responsive prodrugs derived from indole-chalcone and camptothecin trigger apoptosis and autophagy in colon cancer. Bioorg Chem 2024; 143:107056. [PMID: 38183685 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.107056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Antineoplastic agents that target tubulin have shown efficacy as chemotherapeutic drugs, yet they are often constrained by multidrug resistance (MDR) and unwanted side effects. A multi-targeted strategy demonstrates great potency in reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy and provides an alternative way for attenuating MDR. In this study, a series of dual-targeted anti-cancer agents based on indole-chalcone derivatives and the camptothecin (CPT) scaffold were synthesized. Among them, 14-1 demonstrated superior anti-proliferative activity than its precursor 13-1, CPT or their physical mixtures against tested cancer cells, including multidrug-resistant variants, while exhibited moderate cytotoxicity toward human normal cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that 14-1 acted as a glutathione-responsive prodrug, inducing apoptosis by substantially enhancing intracellular uptake of CPT, inhibiting tubulin polymerization, increasing the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and initiating a mitochondrion-dependent apoptotic pathway. Moreover, 14-1 notably induced autophagy and suppressed topoisomerase I activity to further promote apoptosis. Importantly, 14-1 displayed potent inhibitory effect on tumor growth in paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant colorectal cancer (HCT-116/PTX) xenograft models without inducing obvious toxicity compared with CPT- or combo-treated group. These results suggest that 14-1 holds promise as a novel candidate for anti-cancer therapy, particularly in PTX-resistant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- Department of Endoscopic Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Caiyun Nie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Miao Luo
- Department of Endoscopic Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Qiwen Bai
- Department of Endoscopic Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Zhentao Yao
- Department of Endoscopic Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Huifang Lv
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Beibei Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Jianzheng Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Weifeng Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Saiqi Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Xiaobing Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450008, China.
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Guo Z, Wong KH, Li E, Zhou X, Jiang D, Gao J, Chen M. Co-delivery of dimeric camptothecin and chlorin e6 via polypeptide-based micelles for chemo-photodynamic synergistic therapy. Chin Med 2023; 18:133. [PMID: 37833804 PMCID: PMC10576266 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-023-00817-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The integration of photodynamic therapy with a chemical drug-delivery system has displayed great potential in enhancing anticancer therapy. However, the solubility and non-specific biodistribution of both chemotherapeutic agents and photosensitizers continue to pose challenges that hinder their clinical applications. METHOD A polypeptide-based nanoscale drug delivery system was fabricated to address the prementioned issues. An amphiphilic polymer was formed by conjugating the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) onto a polypeptide poly-(L-lysine)-b-polyphenylalanine (PKF) for encapsulating the model drug dimeric camptothecin (DCPT), and the nanoparticles (PCD) with high drug loading efficiency were further modified with acid-sensitive polyethylene glycol (PEG) to yield the drug delivery sytem (PPCD). RESULTS The DCPT and Ce6 encapsulation efficiency were analyzed as 99% and 73.5%, respectively. In phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution at a pH of 7.4, the PEG shell improved the stability of micelles and shielded their positive charge while in the acidic tumor microenvironment, the pH-sensitive PEG layer was removed to expose the cationic nanoparticles, thus facilitating the cellular uptake of PPCD micelles. Benefiting from the enhanced cellular internalization, the amount of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) treated with PCD and PPCD micelles were obviously increased. Furthermore, the enhanced anti-cancer efficacy prompted by PPCD micelles was validated through cellular and animal study. CONCLUSION This study presents a promising method to promote the solubility and biodistribution of both chemotherapeutic agent and photosensitizer, thereby facilitating the further application of chemo-photodynamic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaopei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Ka Hong Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Enze Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Xingzhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Di Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Jiebing Gao
- Department of Radiology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, China.
| | - Meiwan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China.
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Shi F, Chen Y, Dong C, Wang J, Song C, Zhang Y, Li Z, Huang X. Ni/Mn-Complex-Tethered Tetranuclear Polyoxovanadates: Crystal Structure and Inhibitory Activity on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HepG-2). Molecules 2023; 28:6843. [PMID: 37836686 PMCID: PMC10574323 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28196843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyoxometalates (POMs) exhibit unique structural characteristics and excellent physical and chemical properties, which have attracted significant attention from scholars in the fields of anticancer research and chemotherapy. Herein, we successfully synthesized and structurally characterized two novel polyoxovanadates (POVs), denoted as POVs-1 and POVs-2, where [M(1-vIM)4]2[VV4O12]·H2O (M: NiII and MnII, 1-vinylimidazole abbreviated as 1-vIM) serve as ligands. The two POVs are isomeric and consist of fundamental structural units, each comprising one [V4O12]4- cluster, two [M(1-vIM)4]2+ cations, and one water molecule. Subsequently, we evaluated the cell viability of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) cells treated with the synthesized POVs using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide) assay. And the changes in cell nucleus morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), and reactive oxygen species levels in HepG-2 exposed to POVs were monitored using specific fluorescent staining techniques. Both hybrid POVs showed potent inhibitory activities, induing apoptosis in HepG-2 cells along with significant mitochondria dysfunction and a burst of reactive oxygen species. Notably, the inhibitory effects of POVs-2 were more pronounced than those of POVs-1, which is primarily attributed to the different transition metal ions present. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between the metal components, structural characteristics, and the observed antitumor activities in HepG-2 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumei Shi
- School of Life Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China;
| | - Yilan Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
| | - Chuanheng Dong
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
| | - Jiajia Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
| | - Chunman Song
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
| | - Yalin Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
| | - Zhen Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
| | - Xianqiang Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; (Y.C.); (C.D.); (J.W.); (C.S.); (X.H.)
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Nelson VK, Nuli MV, Mastanaiah J, Saleem T. S. M, Birudala G, Jamous YF, Alshargi O, Kotha KK, Sudhan HH, Mani RR, Muthumanickam A, Niranjan D, Jain NK, Agrawal A, Jadon AS, Mayasa V, Jha NK, Kolesarova A, Slama P, Roychoudhury S. Reactive oxygen species mediated apoptotic death of colon cancer cells: therapeutic potential of plant derived alkaloids. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1201198. [PMID: 37560308 PMCID: PMC10408138 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1201198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most deaths causing diseases worldwide. Several risk factors including hormones like insulin and insulin like growth factors (e.g., IGF-1) have been considered responsible for growth and progression of colon cancer. Though there is a huge advancement in the available screening as well as treatment techniques for CRC. There is no significant decrease in the mortality of cancer patients. Moreover, the current treatment approaches for CRC are associated with serious challenges like drug resistance and cancer re-growth. Given the severity of the disease, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic agents with ideal characteristics. Several pieces of evidence suggested that natural products, specifically medicinal plants, and derived phytochemicals may serve as potential sources for novel drug discovery for various diseases including cancer. On the other hand, cancer cells like colon cancer require a high basal level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to maintain its own cellular functions. However, excess production of intracellular ROS leads to cancer cell death via disturbing cellular redox homeostasis. Therefore, medicinal plants and derived phytocompounds that can enhance the intracellular ROS and induce apoptotic cell death in cancer cells via modulating various molecular targets including IGF-1 could be potential therapeutic agents. Alkaloids form a major class of such phytoconstituents that can play a key role in cancer prevention. Moreover, several preclinical and clinical studies have also evidenced that these compounds show potent anti-colon cancer effects and exhibit negligible toxicity towards the normal cells. Hence, the present evidence-based study aimed to provide an update on various alkaloids that have been reported to induce ROS-mediated apoptosis in colon cancer cells via targeting various cellular components including hormones and growth factors, which play a role in metastasis, angiogenesis, proliferation, and invasion. This study also provides an individual account on each such alkaloid that underwent clinical trials either alone or in combination with other clinical drugs. In addition, various classes of phytochemicals that induce ROS-mediated cell death in different kinds of cancers including colon cancer are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod K. Nelson
- Raghavendra Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Anantapur, India
| | - Mohana Vamsi Nuli
- Raghavendra Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Anantapur, India
| | - Juturu Mastanaiah
- Department of Pharmacology, Balaji College of Pharmacy, Anantapur, India
| | | | - Geetha Birudala
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, India
| | - Yahya F. Jamous
- Vaccines and Bioprocessing Centre, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar Alshargi
- College of Pharmacy, Riyadh ELM University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kranthi Kumar Kotha
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dayananda Sagar University, Bengaluru, India
| | - Hari Hara Sudhan
- Raghavendra Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Anantapur, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vinyas Mayasa
- GITAM School of Pharmacy, GITAM University Hyderabad Campus, Rudraram, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
- School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Adriana Kolesarova
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Petr Slama
- Laboratory of Animal Immunology and Biotechnology, Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia
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