Recent Advances in Ginsenosides as Potential Therapeutics Against Breast Cancer

An Investigation of the Effect of the Traditional Naxi Herbal Formula Against Liver Cancer Through Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and In Vitro Experiments

Background/Objectives: The formula Chong-Lou-Yao-Fang (CLYF) is an herbal medicinal formulation developed by the indigenous Naxi people for treating liver cancer. This study was to reveal the biological activity, potential targets, and molecular mechanisms of CLYF for cancer treatment. Methods: Network pharmacology, microarray data analysis, survival analysis, and molecular docking were employed to predict potential compounds, targets, and pathways for the treatment of liver cancer. In vitro experiments and Western blot validation were conducted to confirm these predictions. Results: 35 key compounds and 20 core targets were screened from CLYF, involving signaling pathways for PI3K-Akt, MAPK, hepatitis B and C, which were effective for liver cancer treatment. Microarray data analysis and survival analysis indicated that EGFR and TP53 serve as promising biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in liver cancer. Molecular docking revealed stable binding between EGFR, TP53, and AKT1 with active ingredients. Cell experiments confirmed that CLYF-A suppressed cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and caused cell cycle arrest in HepG2 cells, which were associated with a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Compared to the control group, the relative protein expression levels of EGFR and AKT1 significantly decreased following treatment with CLYF-A, while TP53 levels increased significantly. Conclusions: Verification of the anticancer activity of CLYF and its potential mechanisms may have important implications for anticancer therapies. Our results may provide a scientific basis for the clinical use of CLYF for cancer treatment and have important implications for developing pharmaceutical preparations, which also need more pharmacological experiments, clinical experiments, and in vivo experiments.

Ginsenosides in cancer: Proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance

Ginseng, the dried root of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine. Ginsenosides, the primary active components of ginseng, exhibit diverse anticancer functions through various mechanisms, such as inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and suppressing cell invasion and migration. In this article, the mechanism of action of 20 ginsenoside subtypes in tumor therapy and the research progress of multifunctional nanosystems are reviewed, in order to provide reference for clinical prevention and treatment of cancer.

Production and pharmaceutical research of minor saponins in Panax notoginseng (Sanqi): Current status and future prospects

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen is a traditional medicinal herb known as Sanqi or Tianqi in Asia and is commonly used worldwide. It is one of the main raw ingredients of Yunnan Baiyao, Fu fang dan shen di wan, and San qi shang yao pian. It is also a source of cardiotonic pill used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China, Korea, and Russia. Approximately 270 Panax notoginseng saponins have been isolated and identified as the major active components. Although the absorption and bioavailability of saponins are predominantly dependent on the gastrointestinal biotransformation capacity of an individual, minor saponins are better absorbed into the bloodstream and act as active substances than major saponins. Notably, minor saponins are absent or are present in minimal quantities under natural conditions. In this review, we focus on the strategies for the enrichment and production of minor saponins in P. notoginseng using physical, chemical, enzyme catalytic, and microbial methods. Moreover, pharmacological studies on minor saponins derived from P. notoginseng over the last decade are discussed. This review serves as a meaningful resource and guide, offering scholarly references for delving deeper into the exploration of the minor saponins in P. notoginseng.

Ginsenosides: changing the basic hallmarks of cancer cells to achieve the purpose of treating breast cancer

In 2021, breast cancer accounted for a substantial proportion of cancer cases and represented the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Although tumor cells originate from normal cells in the human body, they possess distinct biological characteristics resulting from changes in gene structure and function of cancer cells in contrast with normal cells. These distinguishing features, known as hallmarks of cancer cells, differ from those of normal cells. The hallmarks primarily include high metabolic activity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and resistance to cell death. Current evidence suggests that the fundamental hallmarks of tumor cells affect the tissue structure, function, and metabolism of tumor cells and their internal and external environment. Therefore, these fundamental hallmarks of tumor cells enable tumor cells to proliferate, invade and avoid apoptosis. Modifying these hallmarks of tumor cells represents a new and potentially promising approach to tumor treatment. The key to breast cancer treatment lies in identifying the optimal therapeutic agent with minimal toxicity to normal cells, considering the specific types of tumor cells in patients. Some herbal medicines contain active ingredients which can precisely achieve this purpose. In this review, we introduce Ginsenoside's mechanism and research significance in achieving the therapeutic effect of breast cancer by changing the functional hallmarks of tumor cells, providing a new perspective for the potential application of Ginsenoside as a therapeutic drug for breast cancer.

Anticancer therapeutic effect of ginsenosides through mediating reactive oxygen species

Dysregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and ROS-regulated pathways in cancer cells leads to abnormal accumulation of reactive oxygen species, displaying a double-edged role in cancer progression, either supporting transformation/proliferation and stimulating tumorigenesis or inducing cell death. Cancer cells can accommodate reactive oxygen species by regulating them at levels that allow the activation of pro-cancer signaling pathways without inducing cell death via modulation of the antioxidant defense system. Therefore, targeting reactive oxygen species is a promising approach for cancer treatment. Ginsenosides, their derivatives, and related drug carriers are well-positioned to modulate multiple signaling pathways by regulating oxidative stress-mediated cellular and molecular targets to induce apoptosis; regulate cell cycle arrest and autophagy, invasion, and metastasis; and enhance the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells to chemotherapeutic agents of different cancers depending on the type, level, and source of reactive oxygen species, and the type and stage of the cancer. Our review focuses on the pro- and anticancer effects of reactive oxygen species, and summarizes the mechanisms and recent advances in different ginsenosides that bring about anticancer effects by targeting reactive oxygen species, providing new ideas for designing further anticancer studies or conducting more preclinical and clinical studies.

Transcriptome expression profile of compound-K-enriched red ginseng extract (DDK-401) in Korean volunteers and its apoptotic properties

Ginseng and ginsenosides have been reported to have various pharmacological effects, but their efficacies depend on intestinal absorption. Compound K (CK) is gaining prominence for its biological and pharmaceutical properties. In this study, CK-enriched fermented red ginseng extract (DDK-401) was prepared by enzymatic reactions. To examine its pharmacokinetics, a randomized, single-dose, two-sequence, crossover study was performed with eleven healthy Korean male and female volunteers. The volunteers were assigned to take a single oral dose of one of two extracts, DDK-401 or common red ginseng extract (DDK-204), during the initial period. After a 7-day washout, they received the other extract. The pharmacokinetics of DDK-401 showed that its maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) occurred at 184.8 ± 39.64 ng/mL, Tmax was at 2.4 h, and AUC0-12h was 920.3 ± 194.70 ng h/mL, which were all better than those of DDK-204. The maximum CK absorption in the female volunteers was higher than that in the male volunteers. The differentially expressed genes from the male and female groups were subjected to a KEGG pathway analysis, which showed results in the cell death pathway, such as apoptosis and necroptosis. In cytotoxicity tests, DDK-401 and DDK-204 were not particularly toxic to normal (HaCaT) cells, but at a concentration of 250 μg/mL, DDK-401 had a much higher toxicity to human lung cancer (A549) cells than DDK-204. DDK-401 also showed a stronger antioxidant capacity than DDK-204 in both the DPPH and potassium ferricyanide reducing power assays. DDK-401 reduced the reactive oxygen species production in HaCaT cells with induced oxidative stress and led to apoptosis in the A549 cells. In the mRNA sequence analysis, a signaling pathway with selected marker genes was assessed by RT-PCR. In the HaCaT cells, DDK-401 and DDK-204 did not regulate FOXO3, TLR4, MMP-9, or p38 expression; however, in the A549 cells, DDK-401 downregulated the expressions of MMP9 and TLR4 as well as upregulated the expressions of the p38 and caspase-8 genes compared to DDK-204. These results suggest that DDK-401 could act as a molecular switch for these two cellular processes in response to cell damage signaling and that it could be a potential candidate for further evaluations in health promotion studies.

Investigating the Anticancer Activity of G-Rh1 Using In Silico and In Vitro Studies (A549 Lung Cancer Cells)

Ginsenoside Rh1 (G-Rh1), a possible bioactive substance isolated from the Korean Panax ginseng Meyer, has a wide range of pharmacological effects. In this study, we have investigated the anticancer efficacy of G-Rh1 via in silico and in vitro methodologies. This study mainly focuses on the two metastatic regulators, Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) and RhoA, along with other standard apoptosis regulators. The ROCK1 protein is a member of the active serine/threonine kinase family that is crucial for many biological processes, including cell division, differentiation, and death, as well as many cellular processes and muscle contraction. The abnormal activation of ROCK1 kinase causes several disorders, whereas numerous studies have also shown that RhoA is expressed highly in various cancers, including colon, lung, ovarian, gastric, and liver malignancies. Hence, inhibiting both ROCK1 and RhoA will be promising in preventing metastasis. Therefore, the molecular level interaction of G-Rh1 with the ROCK1 and RhoA active site residues from the preliminary screening clearly shows its inhibitory potential. Molecular dynamics simulation and principal component analysis give essential insights for comprehending the conformational changes that result from G-Rh1 binding to ROCK1 and RhoA. Further, MTT assay was employed to examine the potential cytotoxicity in vitro against human lung cancer cells (A549) and Raw 264.7 Murine macrophage cells. Thus, G-Rh1 showed significant cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) at 100 µg/mL. In addition, we observed an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, perhaps promoting cancer cell toxicity. Additionally, G-Rh1 suppressed the mRNA expression of RhoA, ROCK1, MMP1, and MMP9 in cancer cell. Accordingly, G-Rh1 upregulated the p53, Bax, Caspase 3, caspase 9 while Bcl2 is downregulated intrinsic pathway. The findings from our study propose that the anticancer activity of G-Rh1 may be related to the induction of apoptosis by the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway. As a result, this study evaluated the functional drug-like compound G-Rh1 from Panax ginseng in preventing and treating lung cancer adenocarcinoma via regulating metastasis and apoptosis.

Biometrics Data Visualization of Ginsenosides in Anticancer Investigations

Ginsenoside extracts have been shown to have anticancer effects by a growing number of studies and have thus become a hot topic in cancer research. Our study used VOSviewer and CiteSpace softwares to conduct a bibliometric approach to co-citation and co-occurrence analysis of countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords in the field of cancer research to investigate the current status and trends of ginsenosides research in cancer. The web of science core collection (WoSCC) contained a total of 1102 papers. China made the most contributions in this area, with the most publications (742, 67.3%), and collaborated closely with Korea and the USA. The Journal of Ginseng Research, with the most total citations (1607) and an IF of 6.06, is the leading journal in the field of ginsenoside and cancer research, publishing high quality articles. Saponin and its extracts inhibit oxidative stress, promote apoptosis, and inhibits chemotherapy resistance by ginsenosides, all of which are hot research areas in this field. In the coming years, it is expected that the combination of ginsenosides and nanoparticles, in-depth mechanisms of cancer inhibition, and targeted therapy will receive widespread attention.

Saponins and their derivatives: Potential candidates to alleviate anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and multidrug resistance

Anthracyclines (ANTs) continue to play an irreplaceable role in oncology treatment. However, the clinical application of ANTs has been limited. In the first place, ANTs can cause dose-dependent cardiotoxicity such as arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure. In the second place, the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) leads to their chemotherapeutic failure. Oncology cardiologists are urgently searching for agents that can both protect the heart and reverse MDR without compromising the antitumor effects of ANTs. Based on in vivo and in vitro data, we found that natural compounds, including saponins, may be active agents for other both natural and chemical compounds in the inhibition of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) and the reversal of MDR. In this review, we summarize the work of previous researchers, describe the mechanisms of AIC and MDR, and focus on revealing the pharmacological effects and potential molecular targets of saponins and their derivatives in the inhibition of AIC and the reversal of MDR, aiming to encourage future research and clinical trials.

Targeting transforming growth factor-β signalling for cancer prevention and intervention: Recent advances in developing small molecules of natural origin

BACKGROUND

Cancer is the world's second leading cause of death, but a significant advancement in cancer treatment has been achieved within the last few decades. However, major adverse effects and drug resistance associated with standard chemotherapy have led towards targeted treatment options.

OBJECTIVES

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling plays a key role in cell proliferation, differentiation, morphogenesis, regeneration, and tissue homeostasis. The prime objective of this review is to decipher the role of TGF-β in oncogenesis and to evaluate the potential of various natural and synthetic agents to target this dysregulated pathway to confer cancer preventive and anticancer therapeutic effects.

METHODS

Various authentic and scholarly databases were explored to search and obtain primary literature for this study. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) criteria was followed for the review.

RESULTS

Here we provide a comprehensive and critical review of recent advances on our understanding of the effect of various bioactive natural molecules on the TGF-β signaling pathway to evaluate their full potential for cancer prevention and therapy.

CONCLUSION

Based on emerging evidence as presented in this work, TGF-β-targeting bioactive compounds from natural sources can serve as potential therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of various human malignancies.

Acute Developmental Toxicity of Panax notoginseng in Zebrafish Larvae

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate toxicity of raw extract of Panax notoginseng (rPN) and decocted extract of PN (dPN) by a toxicological assay using zebrafish larvae, and explore the mechanism by RNA sequencing assay.

METHODS

Zebrafish larvae was used to evaluate acute toxicity of PN in two forms: rPN and dPN. Three doses (0.5, 1.5, and 5.0 µ g/mL) of dPN were used to treat zebrafishes for evaluating the developmental toxicity. Behavior abnormalities, body weight, body length and number of vertebral roots were used as specific phenotypic endpoints. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) assay was applied to clarify the mechanism of acute toxicity, followed by real time PCR (qPCR) for verification. High performance liquid chromatography analysis was performed to determine the chemoprofile of this herb.

RESULTS

The acute toxicity result showed that rPN exerted higher acute toxicity than dPN in inducing death of larval zebrafishes (P<0.01). After daily oral intake for 21 days, dPN at doses of 0.5, 1.5 and 5.0 µ g/mL decreased the body weight, body length, and vertebral number of larval zebrafishes, indicating developmental toxicity of dPN. No other adverse outcome was observed during the experimental period. RNA-seq data revealed 38 genes differentially expressed in dPN-treated zebrafishes, of which carboxypeptidase A1 (cpa1) and opioid growth factor receptor-like 2 (ogfrl2) were identified as functional genes in regulating body development of zebrafishes. qPCR data showed that dPN significantly down-regulated the mRNA expressions of cpa1 and ogfrl2 (both P<0.01), verifying cpa1 and ogfrl2 as target genes for dPN.

CONCLUSION

This report uncovers the developmental toxicity of dPN, suggesting potential risk of its clinical application in children.

Shuyu pills inhibit immune escape and enhance chemosensitization in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by dysregulation of the immune microenvironment and the development of chemoresistance. Specifically, expression of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis, an immune checkpoint, may lead to tumour immune escape, resulting in disease progression. The latest research shows that tumour immune escape may be caused by the upregulation of PD-L1 mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), and simultaneous inhibition of HIF-1α and PD-L1 has the potential to enhance the host’s antitumour immunity. Moreover, inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis may mitigate tumour chemoresistance. Shuyu pills (SYPs) contain immunity-enhancing and antitumour components, making them a potential HCC treatment.

AIM

To investigate the efficacy of SYPs for HCC treatment via simultaneous HIF-1α and PD-L1 inhibition and the mechanism involved.

METHODS

A subcutaneous xenograft tumour model was first established in BALB/c nude mice by the subcutaneous injection of 1 × 10⁷ SMMC-7721 cells. Male mice (male, 5 weeks old; n = 24) were then randomly divided into the following four groups (n = 6): Control (0.9% normal saline), SYP (200 mg/kg), SYP + cisplatin (DDP) (200 mg/kg + 5 mg/kg DDP weekly via intraperitoneal injection), and DDP (5 mg/kg cisplatin weekly via intraperitoneal injection). The dose of saline or SYPs for the indicated mouse groups was 0.2 mL/d via intragastric administration. The tumour volumes and body weights of the mice were measured every 2 d. The mice were euthanized by cervical dislocation after 14 d of continuous treatment, and the xenograft tissues were excised and weighed. Western blot assays were used to measure the protein expression of HIF-1α, PD­1, PD-L1, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells in HCC tumours from mice. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used for real-time quantitative detection of PD-1, PD-L1, and HIF-1α mRNA expression. An immunofluorescence assay was conducted to examine the expression of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells.

RESULTS

Compared to mice in the control group, those in the SYP and SYP + DDP groups exhibited reduced tumour volumes and tumour weights. Moreover, the protein and mRNA expression levels of the oncogene HIF­1α and that of the negative immunomodulatory factors PD-1 and PD-L1 were decreased in both the SYP and SYP + DDP groups, with the decrease effects being more prominent in the SYP + DDP group than in the SYP group (HIF-1α protein: Control vs SYP, P = 0.0129; control vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0004; control vs DDP, P = 0.0152, SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0448; HIF-1α mRNA: control vs SYP, P = 0.0009; control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; control vs DDP, P = 0.0003, SYP vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0192. PD-1 protein: Control vs SYP, P = 0.0099; control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001, SPY vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0009; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P < 0.0001; PD-1 mRNA: control vs SYP, P = 0.0002; control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; control vs DDP, P = 0.0003, SPY vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0003; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0002. PD-L1 protein: control vs SYP, P < 0.0001; control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; control vs DDP, P < 0.0001, SPY vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0040; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0010; PD-L1 mRNA: Control vs SYP, P < 0.0001; control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; control vs DDP, P < 0.0001, SPY vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0014). Additionally, the quantitative and protein expression levels of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were simultaneously upregulated in the SYP + DDP group, whereas only the expression of CD4+ T cells was upregulated in the SYP group. (CD4+ T cell quantitative: Control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001, SYP vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0005; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0002. CD4+ T cell protein: Control vs SYP, P = 0.0033; Control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; Control vs DDP, P = 0.0021, SYP vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0004; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0006. Quantitative CD8+ T cells: Control vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0013; SYP vs SYP + DDP, P = 0.0347; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P = 0.0043. CD8+ T cell protein: Control vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; SYP vs SYP + DDP, P < 0.0001; SYP + DDP vs DDP, P < 0.0001). Finally, expression of HIF-1α was positively correlated with that of PD-1/PD-L1 and negatively correlated with the expression of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells.

CONCLUSION

SYPs inhibit immune escape and enhance chemosensitization in HCC via simultaneous inhibition of HIF-1α and PD-L1, thus inhibiting the growth of subcutaneous xenograft HCC tumours.

Qizhen capsule inhibits colorectal cancer by inducing NAG-1/GDF15 expression that mediated via MAPK/ERK activation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Qizhen capsule (QZC) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation that has been widely used in clinical practice and exerts promising therapeutic effects against breast, lung, and gastric cancers. However, studies have not reported whether QZC inhibits colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. Meanwhile, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its anticancer activity have not been studied.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate the anticancer effects of QZC on CRC and the possible underlying molecular mechanisms of QZC in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to determine the viability and apoptosis of HCT116 and HT-29 cancer cells. A xenograft nude mouse model was used to study the antitumor effects of QZC in vivo. Western blotting was performed to determine the expression of key proteins responsible for the molecular mechanisms elicited by QZC. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the expression of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-activated gene-1 or growth differentiation factor-15 (NAG-1/GDF15). Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to silence NAG-1/GDF15 in cells.

RESULTS

In this study, QZC significantly reduced the viability of HCT116 and HT-29 cells and induced apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manners, but displayed much less toxicity toward normal cells. QZC-induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells was accompanied by the deregulation of the expression of the Bcl-2, Bax, PARP, caspase-3, and caspase-9 proteins. Furthermore, QZC induced NAG-1/GDF15 expression in HCT116 cells, while silencing of NAG-1/GDF15 attenuated QZC-induced apoptosis and cell death. Next, QZC increased the phosphorylation of mTOR, AMPK, p38, and MAPK/ERK in HCT116 cells. We then demonstrated that QZC-induced apoptosis and NAG-1/GDF15 upregulation were mediated by MAPK/ERK activation. Moreover, QZC significantly inhibited HCT116 xenograft tumor growth in nude mice, which was accompanied by NAG/GDF15 upregulation and MAPK/ERK activation. QZC also prevented 5-FU-induced weight loss or cachexia in tumor-bearing mice. The expression of Ki67 and PCNA was suppressed, while cleaved caspase-3 level and TUNEL staining were increased in the tumor sections from QZC-treated mice compared to the control.

CONCLUSION

QZC is a novel anticancer agent for CRC that targets NAG-1/GDF15 via the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Anticancer Effects of Ginsenoside Rh2: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

As one of the effective pharmacological constituents of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2) exerts a remarkable anticancer effect on various cancer cell lines in vitro and strongly inhibits tumor growth in vivo without severe toxicity.

OBJECTIVE

This article reviewed existing evidence supporting the anticancer effects of Rh2 to classify and conclude previous and current knowledge on the mechanisms and therapeutic effects of Rh2, as well as to promote the clinical application of this natural product.

CONCLUSION

This article reviewed the anticancer efficacies and mechanisms of Rh2, including the induction of cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death, repression of metastasis, alleviation of drug resistance, and regulation of the immune system. Finally, this paper discussed the research and application prospects of Rh2.

[Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 upregulates tumor suppressor VHL gene expression by suppressing DNMT3A-mediated promoter methylation in ovarian cancer cells]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the mechanism by which ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 upregulates the expression of tumor suppressor von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene in ovarian cancer cells.

METHODS

Ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 treated with 20(S)-Rg3 were examined for mRNA and protein levels of VHL, DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The changes in VHL mRNA expression in SKOV3 cells in response to treatment with 5-Aza-CdR, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, were detected using real-time PCR. VHL gene promoter methylation was examined with methylation-specific PCR and VHL expression levels were determined with real-time PCR and Western blotting in non-treated or 20(S)-Rg3-treated SKOV3 cells and in 20(S)-Rg3-treated DNMT3A-overexpressing SKOV3 cells. VHL and DNMT3A protein levels were detected by immunohistochemistry in subcutaneous SKOV3 cell xenografts in nude mice.

RESULTS

Treatment of SKOV3 cells with 20(S)-Rg3 significantly upregulated VHL and downregulated DNMT3A expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels (P < 0.05) and upregulated DNMT3B expression only at the mRNA level, but did not cause significant changes in either the mRNA or protein level of DNMT1. Treatment of the cells with 2 and 5 μmol/L 5-Aza-CdR obviously increased VHL mRNA expression by by over 3 folds (P < 0.05). 20(S)-Rg3 significantly decreased the methylation level in the promoter region of VHL gene, and this effect was abrogated by DNMT3A overexpression in the cells (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemisty showed a significantly increased VHL expression but a lowered DNMT3A expression in subcutaneous SKOV3 cell xenografts in 20 (S)-Rg3-treated nude mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 upregulates VHL expression in ovarian cancer cells by suppressing DNMT3A-mediated DNA methylation.

Panax notoginseng saponins and their applications in nervous system disorders: a narrative review

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), also called "sanqi" in Chinese, are the main active ingredients which are extracted from the root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen., and they have been traditionally used as a medicine in China for hundreds of years with magical medicinal value. PNS have varied biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory effects, anti-cancer effects, anti-neurotoxicity, and the prevention of diabetes. Nervous system disorders, a spectrum of diseases originating from the nervous system, have a significant impact on all aspects of patients' lives. Due to the dramatic gains in global life expectancy, the prevalence of nervous system disorders is growing gradually. Even if the mechanism of these diseases is still not clear, they are mainly characterized by neuronal dysfunction and neuronal death. Consequently, it is essential to find measures to slow down or prevent the onset of these diseases. At present, traditional Chinese medicines, as well as their active components, have gained widespread popularity in preventing and treating these diseases because of their merits, especially PNS. In this review, we predominantly address the recent advances in PNS researches and their biological functions, and highlight their applications in nervous system disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke.