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Sun Y, Lian Y, Mei X, Xia J, Feng L, Gao J, Xu H, Zhang X, Yang H, Hao X, Feng Y. Cinobufagin inhibits M2‑like tumor‑associated macrophage polarization to attenuate the invasion and migration of lung cancer cells. Int J Oncol 2024; 65:102. [PMID: 39301639 PMCID: PMC11419410 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2024.5690] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Macrophages have crucial roles in immune responses and tumor progression, exhibiting diverse phenotypes based on environmental cues. In the present study, the impact of cinobufagin (CB) on macrophage polarization and the consequences on tumor‑associated behaviors were investigated. Morphological transformations of THP‑1 cells into M0, M1 and M2 macrophages were observed, including distinct changes in the size, shape and adherence properties of these cells. CB treatment inhibited the viability of A549 and LLC cells in a concentration‑dependent manner, with an IC50 of 28.8 and 30.12 ng/ml, respectively. CB at concentrations of <30 ng/ml had no impact on the viability of M0 macrophages and lung epithelial (BEAS‑2B) cells. CB influenced the expression of macrophage surface markers, reducing CD206 positivity in M2 macrophages without affecting CD86 expression in M1 macrophages. CB also altered certain expression profiles at the mRNA level, notably downregulating macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) expression in M2 macrophages and upregulating tumor necrosis factor‑α and interleukin‑1β in both M0 and M1 macrophages. Furthermore, ELISA analyses revealed that CB increased the levels of pro‑inflammatory cytokines in M1 macrophages and reduced the levels of anti‑inflammatory factors in M2 macrophages. CB treatment also attenuated the migration and invasion capacities of A549 and LLC cells stimulated by M2 macrophage‑conditioned medium. Additionally, CB modulated peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and MARCO expression in M2 macrophages and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in A549 cells, which was partially reversed by rosiglitazone, a PPARγ agonist. Finally, CB and cisplatin treatments hindered tumor growth in vivo, with distinct impacts on animal body weight and macrophage marker expression in tumor tissues. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that CB exerted complex regulatory effects on macrophage polarization and tumor progression, suggesting its potential as a modulator of the tumor microenvironment and a therapeutic for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sun
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Yunfeng Lian
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Xue Mei
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Jinchan Xia
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Long Feng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Jianfeng Gao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Huaming Xu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Epidemic Febrile Disease, Traditional Chinese Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Huitong Yang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Xu Hao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
| | - Yilin Feng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China
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2
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Wang H, Liu Y, Lu XS, Wu Y, Gu W, Yin G. Targeting POLRMT by IMT1 inhibits colorectal cancer cell growth. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:643. [PMID: 39227564 PMCID: PMC11372113 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-07023-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the potential anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) activity of IMT1, a novel specific inhibitor of mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT). Single-cell RNA sequencing data reveal that POLRMT is overexpressed in CRC cells. Additionally, elevated POLRMT expression was observed in local CRC tissues and cells, while its expression remained relatively low in colon epithelial tissues and cells. IMT1 significantly inhibited colony formation, cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle progression, and migration in both primary and immortalized CRC cells. Furthermore, IMT1 induced apoptosis and cell death in CRC cells. The inhibition of POLRMT by IMT1 disrupted mitochondrial functions in CRC cells, leading to mitochondrial depolarization, oxidative damage, and decreased ATP levels. Using targeted shRNA to silence POLRMT closely mirrored the effects of IMT1, showing robust anti-CRC cell activity. Crucially, the efficacy of IMT1 was diminished in CRC cells with silenced POLRMT. Contrarily, boosting POLRMT expression externally by a lentiviral construct promoted the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. Importantly, treatment with IMT1 or silencing POLRMT in primary colon cancer cells decreased the phosphorylation of Akt1-S6K1, whereas overexpression of POLRMT had the opposite effect. In nude mice, orally administering IMT1 potently restrained primary colon cancer xenograft growth. IMT1 suppressed POLRMT activity, disrupted mitochondrial function, hindered Akt-mTOR activation, and prompted apoptosis within the xenograft tissues. In addition, IMT1 administration suppressed lung metastasis of primary colon cancer cells in nude mice. These combined results highlight the robust anti-CRC activity of IMT1 by specifically targeting POLRMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, Yancheng No.1 People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - Yuxin Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xing-Sheng Lu
- Departments of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Yongyou Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Wen Gu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Guojian Yin
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Yang J, Cheng C, Wu Z. Mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of cinobufagin in treating melanoma based on network pharmacology, single-cell RNA sequencing data, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1315965. [PMID: 38348352 PMCID: PMC10859445 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1315965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive of cancers; if not treated early, it can metastasize rapidly. Therefore, drug therapy plays an important role in the treatment of melanoma. Cinobufagin, an active ingredient derived from Venenum bufonis, can inhibit the growth and development of melanoma. However, the mechanism underlying its therapeutic effects is unclear. The purpose of this study was to predict the potential targets of cinobufagin in melanoma. We gathered known and predicted targets for cinobufagin from four online databases. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were then performed. Gene expression data were downloaded from the GSE46517 dataset, and differential gene expression analysis and weighted gene correlation network analysis were performed to identify melanoma-related genes. Using input melanoma-related genes and drug targets in the STRING online database and applying molecular complex detection (MCODE) analysis, we identified key targets that may be the potential targets of cinobufagin in melanoma. Moreover, we assessed the distribution of the pharmacological targets of cinobufagin in melanoma key clusters using single-cell data from the GSE215120 dataset obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The crucial targets of cinobufagin in melanoma were identified from the intersection of key clusters with melanoma-related genes and drug targets. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, survival analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation were performed to gain further insights. Our findings suggest that cinobufagin may affect melanoma by arresting the cell cycle by inhibiting three protein tyrosine/serine kinases (EGFR, ERBB2, and CDK2). However, our conclusions are not supported by relevant experimental data and require further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiansheng Yang
- Department of Dermatology, The Peoples Hospital of Yudu County, Ganzhou, China
| | - Chunchao Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuro Injury Neuro-Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, and Tianjin City, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuolin Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuro Injury Neuro-Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, and Tianjin City, Tianjin, China
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Dai CL, Zhang RJ, An P, Deng YQ, Rahman K, Zhang H. Cinobufagin: a promising therapeutic agent for cancer. J Pharm Pharmacol 2023; 75:1141-1153. [PMID: 37390473 DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgad059] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cinobufagin is a natural active ingredient isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Venenum Bufonis (Chinese: Chansu), which is the dried secretion of the postauricular gland or skin gland of the Bufo gargarizans Cantor or Bufo melanostictus Schneider. There is increasing evidence indicating that cinobufagin plays an important role in the treatment of cancer. This article is to review and discuss the antitumor pharmacological effects and mechanisms of cinobufagin, along with a description of its toxicity and pharmacokinetics. METHODS The public databases including PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Elsevier were referenced, and 'cinobufagin', 'Chansu', 'Venenum Bufonis', 'anticancer', 'cancer', 'carcinoma', and 'apoptosis' were used as keywords to summarize the comprehensive research and applications of cinobufagin published up to date. KEY FINDINGS Cinobufagin can induce tumour cell apoptosis and cycle arrest, inhibit tumour cell proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy, reduce angiogenesis and reverse tumour cell multidrug resistance, through triggering DNA damage and activating the mitochondrial pathway and the death receptor pathway. CONCLUSIONS Cinobufagin has the potential to be further developed as a new drug against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Lan Dai
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Run-Jing Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei An
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Qing Deng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Khalid Rahman
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Hong Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, Anhui, China
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Xu Z, Bao J, Jin X, Li H, Fan K, Wu Z, Yao M, Zhang Y, Liu G, Wang D, Yu X, Guo J, Xu R, Gong Q, Wang F, Wang J. The Effects of Cinobufagin on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Enhanced by MRT68921, an Autophagy Inhibitor. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2023; 51:1595-1611. [PMID: 37489112 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x23500726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Cinobufagin, a cardiotonic steroid derived from toad venom extracts, exhibits significant anticancer properties by inhibiting Na[Formula: see text]/K[Formula: see text]-ATPase in cancer cells. It is frequently used in clinical settings to treat advanced-stage cancer patients, improving their quality of life and survival time. However, its long-term use can result in multidrug resistance to other chemotherapy drugs, and the exact mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. Therefore, this study explores the molecular mechanism underlying the anticancer effects of cinobufagin in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), specifically in HepG2 and Huh-7 cells. As determined using transcriptome analysis, cinobufagin-triggered protective autophagy suppressed cell apoptosis in liver cancer HepG2 and Huh-7 cells by inhibiting the phosphoinositide-3-Kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Cinobufagin-inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and generated cell autophagy by upregulating the expression of MAP1 light chain 3 protein II, Beclin1, and autophagy-related protein 12-5. In addition, the autophagy inhibitor MRT68921 improved the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of cinobufagin in the studied cell lines. Overall, this study suggests that combining cinobufagin with an autophagy inhibitor can effectively treat HCC, providing a potential strategy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwei Xu
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Jun Bao
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohan Jin
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Heng Li
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Kaiyuan Fan
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Zhidong Wu
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Min Yao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tianjin Armed Police Corps Hospital, Tianjin 300126, P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Gang Liu
- Xinjiang General Corps Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Urumqi, Xinjiang 839001, P. R. China
| | - Dan Wang
- Xinjiang General Corps Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Urumqi, Xinjiang 839001, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoping Yu
- Xinjiang General Corps Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Urumqi, Xinjiang 839001, P. R. China
| | - Jia Guo
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Ruicheng Xu
- Central Laboratory, Logistics University of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, P. R. China
| | - Qian Gong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201700, P. R. China
| | - Fengmei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin 300170, P. R. China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201700, P. R. China
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6
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He K, Wang GX, Zhao LN, Cui XF, Su XB, Shi Y, Xie TP, Hou SW, Han ZG. Cinobufagin Is a Selective Anti-Cancer Agent against Tumors with EGFR Amplification and PTEN Deletion. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:775602. [PMID: 34925034 PMCID: PMC8672866 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.775602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant brain tumor, and almost half of the patients carrying EGFR-driven tumor with PTEN deficiency are resistant to EGFR-targeted therapy. EGFR amplification and/or mutation is reported in various epithelial tumors. This series of studies aimed to identify a potent compound against EGFR-driven tumor. We screened a chemical library containing over 600 individual compounds purified from Traditional Chinese Medicine against GBM cells with EGFR amplification and found that cinobufagin, the major active ingredient of Chansu, inhibited the proliferation of EGFR amplified GBM cells and PTEN deficiency enhanced its anti-proliferation effects. Cinobufagin also strongly inhibited the proliferation of carcinoma cell lines with wild-type or mutant EGFR expression. In contrast, the compound only weakly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells with low or without EGFR expression. Cinobufagin blocked EGFR phosphorylation and its downstream signaling, which additionally induced apoptosis and cytotoxicity in EGFR amplified cancer cells. In vivo, cinobufagin blocked EGFR signaling, inhibited cell proliferation, and elicited apoptosis, thereby suppressing tumor growth in both subcutaneous and intracranial U87MG-EGFR xenograft mouse models and increasing the median survival of nude mice bearing intracranial U87MG-EGFR tumors. Cinobufagin is a potential therapeutic agent for treating malignant glioma and other human cancers expressing EGFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunyan He
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guang-Xing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Nan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Fang Cui
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xian-Bin Su
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Shi
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian-Pei Xie
- Shanghai Nature Standard Technical Services Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Shang-Wei Hou
- Key Laboratory for Translational Research and Innovative Therapeutics of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Department of Anesthesiology, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Tongren Hospital, Shanghai, China.,Hangzhou Innovation Institute for Systems Oncology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Guang Han
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Hangzhou Innovation Institute for Systems Oncology, Hangzhou, China
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7
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Zhang X, Wang L, Zhang Q, Lyu S, Zhu D, Shen M, Ke X, Qu Y. Small molecule targeting topoisomerase 3β for cancer therapy. Pharmacol Res 2021; 174:105927. [PMID: 34740818 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA topoisomerases are proved cancer therapeutic targets with clinically successful anticancer drugs for decades. However, the role of RNA topoisomerase (TOP3β) remained mysterious especially in cancer, and no targeted agent has been reported yet. In a target identification assay of anti-cancer compound using a modified DrugTargetSeqR strategy, mutation of TOP3B was detected in cancer cells acquired resistance to cinobufagin (CBG), a key compound of Huachansu that has been approved for cancer therapy in China. We demonstrated that CBG directly engaged with TOP3β, and promoted TOP3β depletion in wildtype but not mutant cancer cells. Notably, knockout of TOP3β in cancer cells significantly reduced tumor enlargement but not initiation, and inhibited colony formation upon nutrient deprivation. We also demonstrated that CBG induced formation of stress granule, RNA-loop and asymmetric DNA damages in cancer cells, and all these phenotypes were significantly attenuated in TOP3B knockout cells. Of note, examination of a panel of cancer cell lines revealed associations among cell growth inhibition and induction of DNA damage as well as TOP3B depletion upon CBG treatment. Our findings not only highlighted TOP3β as a promising therapeutic target of cancer, but also identified CBG as a lead chemical inhibitor of TOP3β for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhang
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Lei Wang
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Song Lyu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Darong Zhu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Mengzhen Shen
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Xisong Ke
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
| | - Yi Qu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
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8
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Sun Y, Xie J, Cai S, Wang Q, Feng Z, Li Y, Lu JJ, Chen W, Ye Z. Elevated expression of nuclear receptor-binding SET domain 3 promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:913. [PMID: 34615858 PMCID: PMC8494902 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04205-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The nuclear receptor-binding SET domain 3 (NSD3) catalyzes methylation of histone H3 at lysine 36 (H3K36), and promotes malignant transformation and progression of human cancer. Its expression, potential functions and underlying mechanisms in pancreatic cancer are studied. Bioinformatics studies and results from local human tissues show that NSD3 is upregulated in human pancreatic cancer tissues, which is correlated with poor overall survival. In primary and established pancreatic cancer cells, NSD3 silencing (by shRNAs) or CRISPR/Cas9-induced NSD3 knockout potently inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while provoking cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Conversely, ectopic expression of NSD3-T1232A mutation significantly accelerated proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. H3K36 dimethylation, expression of NSD3-dependent genes (Prkaa2, Myc, Irgm1, Adam12, and Notch3), and mTOR activation (S6K1 phosphorylation) were largely inhibited by NSD3 silencing or knockout. In vivo, intratumoral injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-packed NSD3 shRNA potently inhibited pancreatic cancer xenograft growth in nude mice. These results suggest that elevated NSD3 could be an important driver for the malignant progression of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiaming Xie
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shang Cai
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhenyu Feng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yecheng Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jing-Jing Lu
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China.
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Zhenyu Ye
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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9
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Gonzales F, Barthélémy A, Peyrouze P, Fenwarth L, Preudhomme C, Duployez N, Cheok MH. Targeting RUNX1 in acute myeloid leukemia: preclinical innovations and therapeutic implications. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2021; 25:299-309. [PMID: 33906574 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2021.1915991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: RUNX1 is an essential transcription factor for normal and malignant hematopoiesis. RUNX1 forms a heterodimeric complex with CBFB. Germline mutations and somatic alterations (i.e. translocations, mutations and abnormal expression) are frequently associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1 mutations conferring unfavorable prognosis. Therefore, RUNX1 constitutes a potential innovative and interesting therapeutic target. In this review, we discuss recent therapeutic advances of RUNX1 targeting in AML.Areas covered: Firstly, we cover the clinical basis for RUNX1 targeting. We have subdivided recent therapeutic approaches either by common biochemical pathways or by similar pharmacological targets. Genome editing of RUNX1 induces anti-leukemic effects; however, off-target events prohibit clinical use. Several molecules inhibit the interaction between RUNX1/CBFB and control AML development and progression. BET protein antagonists target RUNX1 (i.e. specific BET inhibitors, BRD4 shRNRA, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTAC) or expression-mimickers). All these molecules improve survival in mutant RUNX1 AML preclinical models.Expert opinion: Some of these novel molecules have shown encouraging anti-leukemic potency at the preclinical stage. A better understanding of RUNX1 function in AML development and progression and its key downstream pathways, may result in more precise and more efficient RUNX1 targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Gonzales
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France.,Pediatric Hematology Department, University Hospital of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Adeline Barthélémy
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France
| | - Pauline Peyrouze
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France
| | - Laurène Fenwarth
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France.,Laboratory of Hematology, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Claude Preudhomme
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France.,Laboratory of Hematology, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Nicolas Duployez
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France.,Laboratory of Hematology, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Meyling H Cheok
- Factors of Leukemic cell Persistence, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, Canther, Lille, France
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10
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Deng LJ, Li Y, Qi M, Liu JS, Wang S, Hu LJ, Lei YH, Jiang RW, Chen WM, Qi Q, Tian HY, Han WL, Wu BJ, Chen JX, Ye WC, Zhang DM. Molecular mechanisms of bufadienolides and their novel strategies for cancer treatment. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 887:173379. [PMID: 32758567 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bufadienolides are cardioactive C24 steroids with an α-pyrone ring at position C17. In the last ten years, accumulating studies have revealed the anticancer activities of bufadienolides and their underlying mechanisms, such as induction of autophagy and apoptosis, cell cycle disruption, inhibition of angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness, and multidrug resistance reversal. As Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitors, bufadienolides have inevitable cardiotoxicity. Short half-lives, poor stability, low plasma concentration and oral bioavailability in vivo are obstacles for their applications as drugs. To improve the drug potency of bufadienolides and reduce their side effects, prodrug strategies and drug delivery systems such as liposomes and nanoparticles have been applied. Therefore, systematic and recapitulated information about the antitumor activity of bufadienolides, with special emphasis on the molecular or cellular mechanisms, prodrug strategies and drug delivery systems, is of high interest. Here, we systematically review the anticancer effects of bufadienolides and the molecular or cellular mechanisms of action. Research advancements regarding bufadienolide prodrugs and their tumor-targeting delivery strategies are critically summarized. This work highlights recent scientific advances regarding bufadienolides as effective anticancer agents from 2011 to 2019, which will help researchers to understand the molecular pathways involving bufadienolides, resulting in a selective and safe new lead compound or therapeutic strategy with improved therapeutic applications of bufadienolides for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Juan Deng
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yong Li
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Ming Qi
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jun-Shan Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Li-Jun Hu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yu-He Lei
- Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518034, China
| | - Ren-Wang Jiang
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Wei-Min Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Qi Qi
- Clinical Translational Center for Targeted Drug, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, PR China
| | - Hai-Yan Tian
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Wei-Li Han
- School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Bao-Jian Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jia-Xu Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Wen-Cai Ye
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Dong-Mei Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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11
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Epoxide containing molecules: A good or a bad drug design approach. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 201:112327. [PMID: 32526552 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Functional group modification is one of the main strategies used in drug discovery and development. Despite the controversy of being identified for many years as a biologically hazardous functional group, the introduction of an epoxide function in a structural backbone is still one of the possible modifications being implemented in drug design. In this manner, it is our intention to prove with this work that epoxides can have significant interest in medicinal chemistry, not only as anticancer agents, but also as important drugs for other pathologies. Thus, this revision paper aims to highlight the biological activity and the proposed mechanisms of action of several epoxide-containing molecules either in preclinical studies or in clinical development or even in clinical use. An overview of the chemistry of epoxides is also reported. Some of the conclusions are that effectively most of the epoxide-containing molecules referred in this work were being studied or are in the market as anticancer drugs. However, some of them in preclinical studies, were also associated with other different activities such as anti-malarial, anti-arthritic, insecticidal, antithrombotic, and selective inhibitory activity of FXIII-A (a transglutaminase). As for the epoxide-containing molecules in clinical trials, some of them are being tested for obesity and schizophrenia. Finally, drugs containing epoxide groups already in the market are mostly used for the treatment of different types of cancer, such as breast cancer and multiple myeloma. Other diseases for which the referred drugs are being used include heart failure, infections and gastrointestinal disturbs. In summary, epoxides can be a suitable option in drug design, particularly in the design of anticancer agents, and deserve to be better explored. However, and despite the promising results, it is imperative to explore the mechanisms of action of these compounds in order to have a better picture of their efficiency and safety.
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12
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Zhang L, Huang X, Guo T, Wang H, Fan H, Fang L. Study of Cinobufagin as a Promising Anticancer Agent in Uveal Melanoma Through Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathway. Front Oncol 2020; 10:325. [PMID: 32300551 PMCID: PMC7142239 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular carcinoma in adults. Cinobufagin, secreted by the Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans, is a traditional Chinese medicine, widely used in tumor treatment. Here, we explored the potential antitumor function of cinobufagin and investigated its biochemical mechanisms in UM cells. The antitumor potential of cinobufagin was determined via cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays. Colony formation assays confirmed that cinobufagin exerted potent antitumor activity in a dose-dependent manner. We found that cinobufagin could induce cell apoptosis and upregulate the expression of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and cleaved caspase-9 in vivo and in vitro. In addition, after treatment with increased concentrations of cinobufagin, the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was also activated, which was demonstrated by increased cell apoptosis with increased expression of Bad and Bax, decreased expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in OCM1 cells. Taken together, the results of this preclinical study suggest that cinobufagin can both inhibit cell survival and induce cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in UM cells, which provides new insights into the biochemical mechanism of cinobufagin and its potential as a future chemotherapeutic agent for UM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaolin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Guo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Huixue Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyan Fan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Fang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
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13
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Ge J, Sun H, Li J, Shan Y, Zhao Y, Liao F, Yang Y, Cui X, Liu Z. Involvement of CHOP in activin A‑induced myeloma NS‑1 cell apoptosis. Oncol Rep 2019; 42:2644-2654. [PMID: 31638256 PMCID: PMC6859442 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A, a multifunctional cytokine, is a member of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily. It is associated with a variety of pathophysiological processes, including inflammation, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. Chronic or prolonged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can lead to cells apoptosis. However, whether ER stress-related proteins, such as CHOP, GADD34 are involved in activin A-induced myeloma cell apoptosis remains unknown. In the present study, it was revealed that activin A inhibited the proliferation of myeloma cell line NS-1 cells and induced NS-1 cell apoptosis. Activin A upregulated the expression of CHOP, GADD34, caspase-3, and caspase-12. Moreover, both Smad3 and p-Smad3 levels were increased with treatment of activin A. Further studies revealed that the overexpression of activin signaling protein Smad3 in NS-1 cells increased the levels of CHOP, caspase-3, and p-Smad3. These data indicated that the CHOP protein of the ER stress pathway may be involved in activin A-induced NS-1 cell apoptosis, and also indicated the potential therapy of activin A-induced apoptosis via CHOP signaling for multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyan Ge
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Hongyan Sun
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yidi Shan
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Fangwei Liao
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Functional Laboratory, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Xueling Cui
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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14
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Li X, Bi Z, Liu S, Gao S, Cui Y, Huang K, Huang M, Mao J, Li L, Gao J, Sun T, Zhou H, Yang C. Antifibrotic Mechanism of Cinobufagin in Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1021. [PMID: 31572194 PMCID: PMC6753632 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and usually fatal lung disease that is characterized by fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix remodeling, which result in irreversible distortion of the lung's architecture and the formation of focal fibrous hyperplasia. The molecular mechanism by which pulmonary fibrosis develops is not fully understood, and no satisfactory treatment currently exists. However, many studies consider that aberrant activation of TGF-β1 frequently promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibroblast activation in pulmonary fibrosis. Cinobufagin (CBG), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used for long-term pain relief, cardiac stimulation, and anti-inflammatory and local anesthetic treatments. However, its role in pulmonary fibrosis has not yet been established. We investigated the hypothesis that cinobufagin plays an inhibitory role on TGF-β1 signaling using a luciferase-reporter assay. We further explored the effect of cinobufagin on pulmonary fibrosis both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro experiments showed that cinobufagin suppresses TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling in a dose-dependent manner, attenuates the activation and differentiation of lung fibroblasts and inhibits EMT induced by TGF-β1 in alveolar epithelial cells. The in vivo experiments indicated that cinobufagin significantly alleviates bleomycin-induced collagen deposition and improves pulmonary function. Further study showed that cinobufagin could attenuate bleomycin-induced inflammation and inhibit fibroblast activation and the EMT process in vivo. In summary, cinobufagin attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice via suppressing inflammation, fibroblast activation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohe Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhun Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuaishuai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shaoyan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yunyao Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Kai Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiahe Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Lixin Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingjing Gao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Honggang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Haihe Education Park, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
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15
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Pan Z, Zhang X, Yu P, Chen X, Lu P, Li M, Liu X, Li Z, Wei F, Wang K, Zheng Q, Li D. Cinobufagin Induces Cell Cycle Arrest at the G2/M Phase and Promotes Apoptosis in Malignant Melanoma Cells. Front Oncol 2019; 9:853. [PMID: 31552178 PMCID: PMC6738445 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence has shown that cinobufagin, as an active ingredient of Venenum Bufonis, inhibits tumor development. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of cinobufagin on A375 human malignant melanoma cells. MTT and colony formation assays showed that cinobufagin significantly inhibited A375 cell proliferation and cell colony formation. Additional studies demonstrated that cinobufagin markedly increased the levels of ATM serine/threonine kinase (ATM) and checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) and decreased the levels of cell division cycle 25C (CDC25C), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and cyclin B, subsequently inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest in A375 cells. Moreover, cinobufagin clearly inhibited the levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), AKT, p-AKT, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). By contrast, it increased the levels of Bcl-2-associated death promoter, Bcl-2-associated X, cytoplasmic cytochrome C, and apoptotic protease activating factor 1, leading to increased levels of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3, resulting in the apoptosis of A375 cells. Together, these results indicate that cinobufagin can induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and apoptosis, leading to inhibition of A375/B16 cell proliferation. Thus, cinobufagin may be useful for melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohai Pan
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Pengfei Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Peng Lu
- Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Minjing Li
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaona Liu
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Fei Wei
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Kejun Wang
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Qiusheng Zheng
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.,Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic Phytomedicine Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Defang Li
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
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16
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Zhang G, Wang Z, Chen W, Cao Y, Wu J, Qiang G, Ji A, Wu J, Jiang C. Dual effects of gossypol on human hepatocellular carcinoma via endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2019; 113:48-57. [PMID: 31128260 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Treatment outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unsatisfactory, and effective new therapeutic methods are urgently needed. Gossypol has been shown to have an anti-HCC effect, but the underlying mechanism requires further study. In this study, we found gossypol inhibited HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Typical apoptosis was induced in HCC cells. Dilated ER and autophagosomes were observed by electron microscopy, and the activation of the unfolded protein response and autophagy markers suggested that gossypol induced both ER stress and autophagy. C/EBP homologous protein was the key factor that led to apoptotic cell death, whereas inositol-requiring enzyme 1α and eukaryotic initiation factor 2α played a protective role. Autophagy protected the cells from ER stress-related apoptosis. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that inhibition of autophagy enhanced the anti-HCC effect of gossypol. Taken together, ER stress is the molecular mechanism underlying gossypol-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Gossypol exhibits anti-HCC activity primarily through the activation of apoptosis. However, gossypol-induced autophagy protects HCC cells from ER stress. Therefore, a combination therapy of gossypol and autophagy inhibitors may lead to an enhanced anti-HCC effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Zhongxia Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Weibo Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Changzhou First People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China
| | - Yin Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Junyi Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Guanghui Qiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Anlai Ji
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, 365 Hanjiang Middle Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
| | - Junhua Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China.
| | - Chunping Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
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17
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RUNX1-targeted therapy for AML expressing somatic or germline mutation in RUNX1. Blood 2019; 134:59-73. [PMID: 31023702 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2018893982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
RUNX1 transcription factor regulates normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Somatic or germline mutant RUNX1 (mtRUNX1) is associated with poorer outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Knockdown or inhibition of RUNX1 induced more apoptosis of AML expressing mtRUNX1 versus wild-type RUNX1 and improved survival of mice engrafted with mtRUNX1-expressing AML. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing-out of RUNX1 enhancer (eR1) within its intragenic super-enhancer, or BET protein BRD4 depletion by short hairpin RNA, repressed RUNX1, inhibited cell growth, and induced cell lethality in AML cells expressing mtRUNX1. Moreover, treatment with BET protein inhibitor or degrader (BET-proteolysis targeting chimera) repressed RUNX1 and its targets, inducing apoptosis and improving survival of mice engrafted with AML expressing mtRUNX1. Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures 1000-connectivity mapping data sets queried with messenger RNA signature of RUNX1 knockdown identified novel expression-mimickers (EMs), which repressed RUNX1 and exerted in vitro and in vivo efficacy against AML cells expressing mtRUNX1. In addition, the EMs cinobufagin, anisomycin, and narciclasine induced more lethality in hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) expressing germline mtRUNX1 from patients with AML compared with HPCs from patients with familial platelet disorder (FPD), or normal untransformed HPCs. These findings highlight novel therapeutic agents for AML expressing somatic or germline mtRUNX1.
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18
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Li X, Chen C, Dai Y, Huang C, Han Q, Jing L, Ma Y, Xu Y, Liu Y, Zhao L, Wang J, Sun X, Yao X. Cinobufagin suppresses colorectal cancer angiogenesis by disrupting the endothelial mammalian target of rapamycin/hypoxia-inducible factor 1α axis. Cancer Sci 2019; 110:1724-1734. [PMID: 30839155 PMCID: PMC6501006 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducing angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancers that sustains tumor growth and metastasis. Neovascularization is a surprisingly early event during the multistage progression of cancer. Cinobufagin, an important bufadienolide originating from Chan Su, has been clinically used to treat cancer in China since the Tang dynasty. Here, we show that cinobufagin suppresses colorectal cancer (CRC) growth in vivo by downregulating angiogenesis. The hierarchized neovasculature is significantly decreased and the vascular network formation is disrupted in HUVEC by cinobufagin in a dose‐dependent way. Endothelial apoptosis is observed by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction which can be neutralized by N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine (NAC). Expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α) is reduced and phosphorylation of mTOR at Ser2481 and Akt at Ser473 is downregulated in HUVEC. Endothelial apoptosis is triggered by cinobufagin by stimulation of Bax and cascade activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3. Increased endothelial apoptosis rate and alterations in the HIF‐1α/mTOR pathway are recapitulated in tumor‐bearing mice in vivo. Further, the anti‐angiogenesis function of cinobufagin is consolidated based on its pro‐apoptotic effects on an EOMA‐derived hemangioendothelioma model. In conclusion, cinobufagin suppresses tumor neovascularization by disrupting the endothelial mTOR/HIF‐1α pathway to trigger ROS‐mediated vascular endothelial cell apoptosis. Cinobufagin is a promising natural anti‐angiogenetic drug that has clinical translation potential and practical application value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowu Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital & School of Clinical Medicine of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunhui Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Dai
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengzhi Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qinrui Han
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linlin Jing
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yihua Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yawei Liu
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junjiang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuegang Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xueqing Yao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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19
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Ren W, Chen S, Liao Y, Li S, Ge J, Tao F, Huo Q, Zhang Y, Zhao Z. Near-infrared fluorescent carbon dots encapsulated liposomes as multifunctional nano-carrier and tracer of the anticancer agent cinobufagin in vivo and in vitro. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2018; 174:384-392. [PMID: 30476792 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Integrating the optical properties of near-infrared fluorescent carbon dots into liposomes may construct a multifunctional nano-system with the potential as a drug carrier, tracer and efficacy intensifier of the anticancer agent. In this study, the liposomes loaded with hydrophilic near-infrared carbon dots as a nano-carrier and tracer of lipophilic anticancer agent cinobufagin were developed. Prepared liposomes were characterized by particle size, morphology and entrapment efficiency. The drug release behavior, the tracer function, the anticancer effect and the side effect were investigated in vitro and in vivo. It was observed that the photoluminescence emission of carbon dots could be strongly enhanced up to 5 times by nano-liposomes. Due to this property, the bio-imaging of CDs + CB liposomes in vitro and in vivo could be clearly obtained. Our results also showed that the CDs + CB liposomes could be uptaken by cells (the lysosomes targeted) and delivered to the tumor site, and undoubtedly, the CDs + CB liposomes demonstrated sustained drug release, enhanced anticancer efficacy and low side effects in vivo. With the assistance of imaging function of CDs, the CDs + CB liposomes can easily display the distribution of drugs, which is very helpful for drug development and may open a novel avenue for drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ren
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Mass Spectrum Center, Beijing, 100190, China; College of Biochemistry Engineering, Beijing Union University, Beijing, 100023, China
| | - Shiqing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials and CityU-CAS Joint Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yuyang Liao
- College of Biochemistry Engineering, Beijing Union University, Beijing, 100023, China
| | - Shumu Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Mass Spectrum Center, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jiechao Ge
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials and CityU-CAS Joint Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Fengyun Tao
- College of Biochemistry Engineering, Beijing Union University, Beijing, 100023, China
| | - Qing Huo
- College of Biochemistry Engineering, Beijing Union University, Beijing, 100023, China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Mass Spectrum Center, Beijing, 100190, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Zhenwen Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Mass Spectrum Center, Beijing, 100190, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
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20
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miR-1273g silences MAGEA3/6 to inhibit human colorectal cancer cell growth via activation of AMPK signaling. Cancer Lett 2018; 435:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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21
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Chen MB, Liu YY, Cheng LB, Lu JW, Zeng P, Lu PH. AMPKα phosphatase Ppm1E upregulation in human gastric cancer is required for cell proliferation. Oncotarget 2018; 8:31288-31296. [PMID: 28423719 PMCID: PMC5458207 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a valuable anti-cancer strategy. In the current study, we tested expression and potential function of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (Ppm1E), an AMPKα phosphatase, in human gastric cancers. Ppm1E expression was elevated in human gastric cancer tissues (vs. normal tissues), which was correlated with AMPK (p-AMPKα, Thr-172) dephosphorylation and mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activation. Ppm1E upregulation, AMPK inhibition and mTORC1 activation were also observed in human gastric cancer cell lines (AGS, HGC-27, and SNU601). Intriguingly, Ppm1E knockdown by shRNA induced AMPK activation, mTORC1 inactivation, and proliferation inhibition in AGS cells. On the other hand, forced over-expression of Ppm1E induced further AMPK inhibition and mTORC1 activation to enhance AGS cell proliferation. Remarkably, microRNA-135b-5p (“miR-135b-5p”), an anti-Ppm1E microRNA, was downregulated in both human gastric cancer tissues and cells. Reversely, miR-135b-5p exogenous expression caused Ppm1E depletion, AMPK activation, and AGC cell proliferation inhibition. Together, Ppm1E upregulation in human gastric cancer is important for cell proliferation, possible via regulating AMPK-mTOR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Bin Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Li-Bo Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wuxi Second Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wu'xi, China
| | - Jian-Wei Lu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ping Zeng
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Pei-Hua Lu
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
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22
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Chen D, Chen J, Guo Y, Li Y. Cinobufacini promotes apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by influencing the expression of autophagy-related genes. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:7104-7110. [PMID: 29725433 PMCID: PMC5920381 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of cinobufacini on apoptosis of human bladder cancer T24 cells and the expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins were studied. The human bladder cancer T24 cells were selected, and the inhibitory effect of cinobufacini on the proliferation of human bladder cancer cells was detected by cell viability assay. Flow cytometry and Hoechst staining were used to detect the changes in the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells after being treated with cinobufacini; the changes in the expression levels of human bladder cancer cell apoptosis-related genes and proteins, cleaved caspase-3, Bax, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and autophagy-related genes and proteins, p62, light chain 3 (LC3) and autophagy-related protein 7 (Atg7) after treatment with cinobufacini were detected by western blot analysis and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results showed that 0.1 mg/ml cinobufacini significantly inhibited the proliferation of human bladder cancer cells cultured in vitro (P<0.01), and it was dose- and time-dependent. Both flow cytometry and Hoechst staining showed that cinobufacini promoted the apoptosis of cells (P<0.01), and the level of cell apoptosis increased with the increase of drug concentration. Both western blot analysis and RT-PCR showed that cinobufacini could decrease the expression level of Bcl-2 in T24 cells (P<0.01), increase the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 (P<0.01), increase the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 (P<0.01), upregulate the expression level of the angiotensin-related protein p62 (P<0.01), reduce the ratio of LC3-II/I (P<0.01) and decrease the expression level of Atg7 (P<0.01). After treatment with rapamycin, the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, autophagy-related genes and proteins, p62, LC3-II/I and Atg7 were similar to those in the control group. Cinobufacini can inhibit the autophagy activation of bladder cancer cells, thus promoting apoptosis of bladder cancer T24 cells and inhibiting the proliferation of T24 cells, which may provide a theoretical basis for the development of new anti-bladder cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Chen
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, P.R. China
| | - Junyi Chen
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, P.R. China
| | - Yihong Guo
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, P.R. China
| | - Yining Li
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, P.R. China
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23
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Chen MB, Ji XZ, Liu YY, Zeng P, Xu XY, Ma R, Guo ZD, Lu JW, Feng JF. Ulk1 over-expression in human gastric cancer is correlated with patients' T classification and cancer relapse. Oncotarget 2018; 8:33704-33712. [PMID: 28410240 PMCID: PMC5464904 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ulk1 is a key autophagy protein. Here, we tested expression and potential function of Ulk1 in human gastric cancer. Ulk1 mRNA and protein were significantly elevated in multiple fresh human gastric cancer tissues. Its level was relatively low in surrounding normal epithelial tissues. Ulk1 over-expression was also observed in several gastric cancer cell lines (AGS, HGC-27, and SNU601). Remarkably, Ulk1 knockdown by targeted-shRNA inhibited AGS gastric cancer cell survival and proliferation. On the other hand, exogenous Ulk1 over-expression could further promote AGS cell survival and proliferation. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining assay of 145 paraffin-embedded gastric cancer tissues showed that Ulk1 was over-expressed in majority (114 out of 145) of gastric cancer tissues. Importantly, high Ulk1 expression in gastric cancer was correlated with patients' T classification and cancer relapse. Together, we demonstrate that Ulk1 over-expression in human gastric cancer is pro-survival. Its over-expression is associated with patients' T classification and cancer relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Bin Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Zhi Ji
- Departments of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Institute of Cancer, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.,Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ping Zeng
- Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xin-Yu Xu
- Departments of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Institute of Cancer, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Rong Ma
- Clinical Cancer Research Center, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zheng-Dong Guo
- Departments of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Institute of Cancer, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.,Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Jian-Wei Lu
- Departments of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Institute of Cancer, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.,Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Ji-Feng Feng
- Departments of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Institute of Cancer, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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24
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Dai C, Zhang X, Xie D, Tang P, Li C, Zuo Y, Jiang B, Xue C. Targeting PP2A activates AMPK signaling to inhibit colorectal cancer cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:95810-95823. [PMID: 29221169 PMCID: PMC5707063 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
LB-100 is a novel PP2A inhibitor. Its activity in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells was tested. The in vitro studies demonstrated that LB-100 inhibited survival and proliferation of both established CRC cells (HCT-116 and HT-29 lines) and primary human colon cancer cells. Further, LB-100 activated apoptosis and induced G1-S cell cycle arrest in CRC cells. LB-100 inhibited PP2A activity and activated AMPK signaling in CRC cells. AMPKα1 dominant negative mutation, shRNA-mediated knockdown or complete knockout (by CRISPR/Cas9 method) largely attenuated LB-100-induced AMPK activation and HCT-116 cytotoxicity. Notably, microRNA-17-92-mediated silence of PP2A (regulatory B subunit) also activated AMPK and induced HCT-116 cell death. Such effects were again largely attenuated by AMPKα mutation, silence or complete knockout. In vivo studies showed that intraperitoneal injection of LB-100 inhibited HCT-116 xenograft growth in nude mice. Its anti-tumor activity was largely compromised against HCT-116 tumors-derived from AMPKα1-knockout cells. We conclude that targeting PP2A by LB-100 and microRNA-17-92 activates AMPK signaling to inhibit CRC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Dai
- Faculty of Health, Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceutical Science College, Huaian, China
| | - Xuning Zhang
- Huaian Key Laboratory Of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, China
| | - Da Xie
- Oncology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peipei Tang
- Huaian Key Laboratory Of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, China
| | - Chunmei Li
- Huaian Key Laboratory Of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, China
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Medicine, Xinglin College, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Baofei Jiang
- Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Huaian City, Huaian, China
| | - Caiping Xue
- Huaian Key Laboratory Of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, China
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25
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Zheng L, Li H, Mo Y, Qi G, Liu B, Zhao J. Autophagy inhibition sensitizes LY3023414-induced anti-glioma cell activity in vitro and in vivo. Oncotarget 2017; 8:98964-98973. [PMID: 29228741 PMCID: PMC5716781 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling is a valuable treatment target for human glioma. LY3023414 is a novel, highly-potent and pan PI3K-AKT-mTOR inhibitor. Here, we show that LY3023414 efficiently inhibited survival and proliferation of primary and established human glioma cells. Meanwhile, apoptosis activation was observed in LY3023414-treated glioma cells. LY3023414 blocked AKT-mTOR activation in human glioma cells. Further studies show that LY3023414 induced feedback activation of autophagy in U251MG cells. On the other hand, autophagy inhibition via adding pharmacological inhibitors or silencing Beclin-1/ATG-5 significantly potentiated LY3023414-induced glioma cell apoptosis. In vivo studies demonstrated that U251MG xenograft tumor growth in mice was suppressed by oral administration of LY3023414. Remarkably, LY3023414's anti-tumor activity was further augmented against the Beclin-1-silenced U251MG tumors. Together, our results suggest that targeting PI3K-AKT-mTOR cascade by LY3023414 inhibits human glioma cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Autophagy inhibition could further sensitize LY3023414 against human glioma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zheng
- Neurology Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huanyin Li
- Neurology Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanqing Mo
- Neurology Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gong Qi
- Neurology Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Neurology Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Neurology Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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26
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Zhu H, Mao JH, Wang Y, Gu DH, Pan XD, Shan Y, Zheng B. Dual inhibition of BRD4 and PI3K-AKT by SF2523 suppresses human renal cell carcinoma cell growth. Oncotarget 2017; 8:98471-98481. [PMID: 29228703 PMCID: PMC5716743 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) and PI3K-AKT are both important for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development and progression. SF2523 is a BRD4 and PI3K-AKT dual inhibitor. The present study demonstrated that SF2523 was cytotoxic and anti-proliferative to established RCC cell lines (786-O and A498) and primary human RCC cells. SF2523 induced activation of caspase and apoptosis in RCC cells. Further, SF2523 disrupted RCC cell cycle progression and inhibited cell migration in vitro. At the signaling level, SF2523 in-activated PI3K-AKT-mTOR, and downregulated BRD4-dependent proteins, Bcl-2 and Myc, in RCC cells. Remarkably, SF2523 was more efficient than Wortmannin (the PI3K inhibitor) and JQ1 (the BRD4 specific inhibitor) in killing RCC cells. In vivo, SF2523 administration at well-tolerated doses suppressed 786-O xenograft tumor growth in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Together, our results suggest that concurrent blockage of BRD4 and PI3K-AKT signalings by SF2523 efficiently inhibits RCC cell growth in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhu
- The Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,The Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jia-Hui Mao
- Department of Pathophysiology, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, China
| | - Yin Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Dong-Hua Gu
- The Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Pan
- The Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yuxi Shan
- The Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Bing Zheng
- The Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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27
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Baicalein inhibits progression of osteosarcoma cells through inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Oncotarget 2017; 8:86098-86116. [PMID: 29156780 PMCID: PMC5689670 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is a very common type of malignant bone tumor in children and young adults and aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been discovered in osteosarcoma. The traditional Chinese medicine baicalein was proved to have anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic properties in osteosarcoma, but the mechanism remained poorly understood. In the present study, we assessed the effects of baicalein on osteosarcoma and detected the potential molecular mechanism. We found that baicalein significantly suppressed the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In additional, baicalein could induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest and reduce cell motility. Moreover, the level of β-catenin and its target genes, including c-myc, cyclinD1, and survivin significantly decreased in baicalein-treated osteosarcoma cells, whereas exogenous expression of β-catenin could reverse the anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects of baicalein. Subsequently, we established a 143B xenograft tumor model and found that baicalein treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth accompanied with inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, these findings suggest that baicalein may be a potentially effective Chinese herbal medicine for therapeutics of osteosarcoma and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may serve as an efficient molecular marker or predictive target for osteosarcoma.
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28
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Mao M, Liu Y, Gao X. Feedback autophagy activation as a key resistance factor of Ku-0060648 in colorectal cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 490:1244-1249. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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29
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The synergistic antitumor effect of cinobufagin and cisplatin in human osteosarcoma cell line in vitro and in vivo. Oncotarget 2017; 8:85150-85168. [PMID: 29156710 PMCID: PMC5689600 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin (CDDP) has been shown to be a promising anticancer drug that is effective against many types of cancer, which include osteosarcoma (OS). However, its therapeutic application is restricted by its toxicity in normal tissues and by side effects caused in patients. Reduction of the toxicity of CDDP is necessary to improve cancer treatment. In the present study, we attempted to clarify how cinobufagin, a traditional Chinese medicine, enhances CDDP-induced cytotoxicity in OS cells. OS 143B cells were treated with cinobufagin and CDDP alone or in combination. After low dose combined treatments with cinobufagin and CDDP, the effects of these therapeutics on cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, invasion, and involvement in Notch pathway, as well as tumor growth and metastatic capability were determined. It was found that the combination of low doses of cinobufagin and CDDP markedly inhibited cell activity, motility, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in S phase, as well as suppressing tumor growth, metastasis and prolonging longer survival of nude mice in OS xenograft models compared with the actions of either drug alone or vehicle. The results also demonstrated that cinobufagin plus CDDP significantly suppressed the Notch pathway. The anticancer mechanism of these two drugs may involve intervention in the Notch signaling, which may contribute to inhibit tumor growth. All of these results suggest that application of lower concentration cinobufagin plus CDDP could produce a synergistic antitumor effect and this finding warrants further investigation for its potential clinical applications in human OS patients.
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30
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Zhang S, Zhang Y, Cheng Q, Ma Z, Gong G, Deng Z, Xu K, Wang G, Wei Y, Zou X. Silencing protein kinase C ζ by microRNA-25-5p activates AMPK signaling and inhibits colorectal cancer cell proliferation. Oncotarget 2017; 8:65329-65338. [PMID: 29029434 PMCID: PMC5630334 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing novel strategies against human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells is needed. Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) could possibly inhibit CRC cells. Protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) is an AMPK negative regulator. Here we found that PKCζ expression was significantly elevated in human colon cancer tissues and CRC cells. PKCζ upregulation was correlated with AMPK in-activation and mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) over-activation. Reversely, PKCζ shRNA knockdown activated AMPK signaling and inhibited HT-29 cell proliferation. Significantly, downregulation of microRNA-25-5p (miR-25-5p), a PKCζ-targeting miRNA, could be the cause of PKCζ upregulation. Exogenous expression of miR-25-5p silenced PKCζ to activate AMPK signaling, which inhibited HT-29 cell proliferation. In vivo studies showed that HT-29 xenograft growth in mice was inhibited after expressing PKCζ shRNA or miR-25-5p. Collectively, PKCζ could be a novel oncogenic protein of human CRC. PKCζ silence, by targeted-shRNA or miR-25-5p expression, activates AMPK and inhibits HT-29 cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihu Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiyang Zhang
- Digestive Department, Affiliated Drum Tower Clinical Medical School of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing Cheng
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaoqun Ma
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Guanwen Gong
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhengming Deng
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Kun Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Gaoyuan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yousong Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoping Zou
- Digestive Department, Affiliated Drum Tower Clinical Medical School of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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31
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Xu LQ, Tan SB, Huang S, Ding HY, Li WG, Zhang Y, Li SQ, Wang T. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 6 is overexpressed in glioma and promotes glioma cell proliferation. Oncotarget 2017; 8:54227-54235. [PMID: 28903336 PMCID: PMC5589575 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression and potential biological functions of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 6 (GRK6) in human glioma are tested in this study. We show that protein and mRNA expression of GRK6 in human glioma tissues was significantly higher than that in the normal brain tissues. Further immunohistochemistry assay analyzing total 118 human glioma tissues showed that GRK6 over-expression was correlated with glioma pathologic grade and patients’ Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score. At the molecular level, in the GRK6-low H4 glioma cells, forced over-expression of GRK6 promoted cell proliferation. Reversely, siRNA-mediated knockdown of GRK6 in the U251MG (GRK6-high) cells led to proliferation inhibition and cell cycle arrest. Intriguingly, GRK6 could also be an important temozolomide resistance factor. Temozolomide-induced cytotoxicity was prominent only in GRK6-low H4 glioma cells. On the other hand, knockdown of GRK6 by targeted siRNA sensitized U251MG cells (GRK6-high) to temozolomide. Thus, GRK6 over-expression in glioma is important for cell proliferation and temozolomide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Quan Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai 5th People's Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Shu-Bin Tan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai 5th People's Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Shan Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai 5th People's Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - He-Yuan Ding
- Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai 5th People's Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Wen-Gang Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai 5th People's Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, HuaShan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Shi-Qi Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, HuaShan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai 5th People's Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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Xie Z, Wang J, Liu M, Chen D, Qiu C, Sun K. CC-223 blocks mTORC1/C2 activation and inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173252. [PMID: 28334043 PMCID: PMC5363890 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related human mortalities. Over-activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is important for HCC tumorigenesis and progression. The current study assessed the potential anti-HCC activity by a novel mTOR kinase inhibitor, CC-223. We demonstrate that CC-223, at nM concentrations, induced profound cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activities against established HCC cell lines (HepG2, KYN-2 and Huh-7) and primary human HCC cells. Meanwhile, CC-223 activated caspase-3/-9 and apoptosis in the above HCC cells. CC-223 concurrently blocked mTORC1 and mTORC2 activation, and its cytotoxicity against HCC cells was much more potent than the traditional mTORC1 inhibitors (RAD001 and rapamycin). Further studies demonstrated that CC-223 disrupted mitochondrial function, and induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. On the other hand, ROS scavengers and mPTP blockers (cyclosporin A or sanglifehrin A) largely attenuated CC-223-induced HepG2 cell apoptosis. In vivo studies showed that oral administration of CC-223 dramatically inhibited growth of HepG2 xenografts in severe combined immuno-deficient (SCID) mice. mTORC1/2 activation was also blocked in xenografts with CC-223 administration. Together, CC-223 simultaneously blocks mTORC1/2 and efficiently inhibits human HCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichen Xie
- Emergency Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiqin Wang
- Emergency Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Emergency Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deshan Chen
- Emergency Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Qiu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (KS); (CQ)
| | - Keyu Sun
- Emergency Department, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (KS); (CQ)
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