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Almeida TC, Seibert JB, Amparo TR, de Souza GHB, da Silva GN, Dos Santos DH. Modulation of Long Non-Coding RNAs by Different Classes of Secondary Metabolites from Plants: A Mini-Review on Antitumor Effects. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 22:1232-1255. [PMID: 34720079 DOI: 10.2174/1389557521666211101161548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The broad pharmacological spectrum of plants is related to their secondary metabolism, which is responsible for the synthesis of different compounds that have multiple effects on cellular physiology. Among the biological effects presented by phytochemicals, their use for the prevention and treatment of cancer can be highlighted. This occurs due to several mechanisms of antitumor action demonstrated by these compounds, including regulation of the cell signaling pathways and inhibition of tumor growth. In this way, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) appear to be promising targets for the treatment of cancer. Their deregulation has already been related to a variety of clinical-pathological parameters. However, the effects of secondary metabolites on lncRNAs are still restricted. For this reason, the present review aimed to gather data on phytochemicals with action on lncRNAs in order to confirm their possible antitumor potential. According to the literature, terpenoid and flavonoid are the main examples of secondary metabolites involved with lncRNAs activity. In addition, the lncRNAs H19, CASC2, HOTAIR, NKILA, CCAT1, MALAT1, AFAP1-AS1, MEG3, and CDKN2B-AS1 can be highlighted as important targets in the search for new anti-tumor agents since they act as modulating pathways related to cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell migration and invasion. Finally, challenges for the use of natural products as a commercial drug were also discussed. The low yield, selectivity index and undesirable pharmacokinetic parameters were emphasized as a difficulty for obtaining these compounds on a large scale and for improving the potency of its biological effect. However, the synthesis and/or development of formulations were suggested as a possible approach to solve these problems. All of these data together confirm the potential of secondary metabolites as a source of new anti-tumor agents acting on lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamires Cunha Almeida
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto. Brazil
| | | | - Tatiane Roquete Amparo
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto. Brazil
| | | | - Glenda Nicioli da Silva
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto. Brazil
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Chemical hybridization of sulfasalazine and dihydroartemisinin promotes brain tumor cell death. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20766. [PMID: 34675351 PMCID: PMC8531376 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99960-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gliomas are primary brain tumors with still poor prognosis for the patients despite a combination of cytoreduction via surgery followed by a radio-chemotherapy. One strategy to find effective treatment is to combine two different compounds in one hybrid molecule via linker to add to or at best potentiate their impact on malignant cells. Here, we report on the effects of a newly synthesized hybrid of sulfasalazine (SAS) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA), called AC254. In previous studies, both SAS and DHA have already proved to have anti-tumor properties themselves and to have sensitizing respectively potentiating effects on other treatments against malignant tumors. We investigated the impact of individual drugs SAS and DHA, their 1:1 combination and a novel SAS-DHA hybrid compound (AC254) on rodent and human glioma cells. In our study SAS alone showed no or only a mild effect on glioma, whereas DHA led to a significant reduction of cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Next we compared the efficacy of the hybrid AC254 to the combinational treatment of its parent compounds SAS and DHA. The hybrid was highly efficient in combating glioma cells compared to single treatment strategies regarding cell viability and cell death. Interestingly, AC254 showed a remarkable advantage over the combinational treatment with both parent compounds in most used concentrations. In addition to its reduction of tumor cell viability and induction of cell death, the hybrid AC254 displayed changes in cell cycle and reduction of cell migration. Taken together, these results demonstrate that clinically established compounds such as SAS and DHA can be potentiated in their anti-cancer effects by chemical hybridization. Thus, this concept provides the opportunity to devise new effective chemotherapeutic agents.
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Malami I, Bunza AM, Alhassan AM, Muhammad A, Abubakar IB, Yunusa A, Waziri PM, Etti IC. Dihydroartemisinin as a potential drug candidate for cancer therapy: a structural-based virtual screening for multitarget profiling. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:1347-1362. [PMID: 32964804 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1824811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a rapidly growing non-communicable disease worldwide that is responsible for high mortality rates, which account for 9.6 million death in 2018. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is an active metabolite of artemisinin, an active principle present in the Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua used for malaria treatment. Dihydroartemisinin possesses remarkable and selective anticancer properties however the underlying mechanism of the antitumor effects of DHA from the structural point of view is still not yet elucidated. In the present study, we employed molecular docking simulation techniques using Autodock suits to access the binding properties of dihydroartemisinin to multiple protein targets implicated in cancer pathogenesis. Its potential targets with comprehensive pharmacophore were predicted using a PharmMapper database. The co-crystallised structures of the protein were obtained from a Protein Data Bank and prepared for molecular docking simulation. Out of the 24 selected protein targets, DHA has shown about 29% excellent binding to the targets compared to their co-crystallised ligand. Additionally, 75% of the targets identified for dihydroartemisinin binding are protein kinases, and 25% are non-protein kinases. Hydroxyl functional group of dihydroartemisinin contributed to 58.5% of the total hydrogen interactions, while pyran (12.2%), endoperoxide (9.8%), and oxepane (19.5%) contributed to the remaining hydrogen bonding. The present findings have elucidated the possible antitumor properties of dihydroartemisinin through the structural-based virtual studies, which provides a lead to a safe and effective anticancer agent useful for cancer therapy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Malami
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.,Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training (CAMRET), Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Aisha Muktar Bunza
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Alhassan Muhammad Alhassan
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Aliyu Muhammad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | | | - Abdulmajeed Yunusa
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Peter M Waziri
- Department of Biochemistry, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria
| | - Imaobong C Etti
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
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Yu Y, Jiang H, Niu Y, Huang J, Zhang X, Liu X, Zhang Y, Liu S, Fu H, Yu C. Long noncoding RNA-GAS5 retards renal fibrosis through repressing miR-21 activity. Exp Mol Pathol 2020; 116:104518. [PMID: 32791063 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2020.104518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a large and diverse class of RNA molecules, and has received widespread attention for its role in the regulation of various biological processes, including stem cell transformation, neurological disease, and tumorigenesis. However, the role of lncRNA in renal fibrosis remains unclear. METHODS We investigated the expression of lncRNA-GAS5 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or fluorescence in situ hybridization in chronic kidney disease (CKD) by designing both in vivo and in vitro experiments. With over-expression of GAS5 or knockdown GAS5, miR-21 and its downstream target genes were tested using quantitative real-time PCR or western blots. Mutants of miR-21 were designed and transfected in cells. GAS5 in the plasma and urine of patients with CKD was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS In normal rats, GAS5 was predominantly expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells. GAS5 induction was significantly reduced in obstructive kidneys at 7 days after unilateral ureteral obstruction. In vitro, GAS5 was inhibited in cultured normal rat renal proximal tubular cells (NRK-52E) after incubation with transforming growth factor β at 24 h. Ectopic over-expression of GAS5 repressed extracellular matrix (ECM) levels such as collagen type III and fibronectin 1. Conversely, knockdown GAS5 augmented ECM accumulation in NRK-52E cells. GAS5 suppressed miR-21 activity in a direct and mechanistic manner. It subsequently turned off the expression of miR-21 downstream target genes, matrix metallopeptidase 2 and 9, which resulted in excessive ECM synthesis and deposition. Of note, plasma GAS5 was positively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate levels in CKD patients with different etiologies while urine GAS5 was negatively correlated. CONCLUSION Activation of lncRNA-GAS5 attenuates kidney fibrosis by modulating miR-21 activity and may serve as a surrogate biomarker in monitoring CKD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifeng Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangyang Niu
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jieli Huang
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqin Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Liu
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shijia Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
| | - Haiyan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chen Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Yi R, Wang H, Deng C, Wang X, Yao L, Niu W, Fei M, Zhaba W. Dihydroartemisinin initiates ferroptosis in glioblastoma through GPX4 inhibition. Biosci Rep 2020; 40:BSR20193314. [PMID: 32452511 PMCID: PMC7313443 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20193314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been demonstrated from previous studies about the killing effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on glioblastoma, which involves multiple aspects: cytotoxicity, cell cycle arrest and invasion inhibition. DHA has the advantages of low cytotoxicity to normal cells, selective killing effect and low drug resistance, making it one of the popular anti-tumor research directions. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death characterized by iron dependence and lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In the present study, we found differences in the expression of transferrin receptors in normal human astrocytes (NHA) and glioblastoma cells (U87 and A172), which may be one of the mechanisms of DHA selective killing effect. Through the determination of ferroptosis-related protein expression, we found that the significant decrease of GPX4, accompanied by the constant expression of xCT and ACSL4, suggesting GPX4 was a pivotal target for DHA-activated ferroptosis in glioblastoma. Total and lipid ROS levels were increased and all these results could be reversed by the ferroptosis inhibitor, ferrostatin-1. These findings demonstrated ferroptosis would be a critical component of cell death caused by DHA and GPX4 was the main target. All these results provide a novel treatment direction to glioblastoma. The association between ferroptosis and polyamines is also discussed, which will provide new research directions for ferroptosis caused by DHA in glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renxin Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Southeast University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Handong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Chulei Deng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, South Medical University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Jiangsu Laboratory for Biomaterials and Devices, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Lei Yao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Southeast University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Wenhao Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Southeast University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Maoxing Fei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
| | - Wangdui Zhaba
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, P.R. China
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