MicroRNAs and Chinese Medicinal Herbs: New Possibilities in Cancer Therapy

Bibliometric analysis of research trends and topic areas in traditional Chinese medicine therapy for lymphoma

CONTEXT

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is effective as a cancer treatment modality. However, this is the first bibliometric analysis of TCM in lymphoma treatment.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the current trends and research topics of TCM in treating lymphoma from 2000 to 2023.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched within the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for publications on TCM in lymphoma treatment, spanning 2000 to 2023. Subsequently, we employed a comprehensive approach utilizing CiteSpace software and VOSviewer to visually analyze research trends, authors, institutions, co-cited references, and keywords.

RESULTS

From January 1, 2000, to August 31, 2023, annual scientific publications on TCM for lymphoma treatment have steadily increased. Among the leading institutions in this field, the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the Fujian Medical University occupied the top positions. Regarding the authors, Jun Peng, Jiumao Lin, and Hongwei Chen emerged as the top three contributors. In the co-citation analysis of references, the top three co-cited references were authored by Hanahan D, Elmore S, and Livak KJ with citations numbered 13, 14, and 17, respectively. In particular, keywords reflecting current emerging trends included 'pathway', 'traditional Chinese medicine', 'oxidative stress', and 'macrophage polarization'.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of TCM for lymphoma treatment. This analysis identified the predominant trends and research topics in the field. The findings are expected to be of significant value for researchers who focus on TCM in lymphoma treatment, helping them better understand the development of this field.

The potential of the nutraceutical berberine in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver diseases such as NAFLD and NASH

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer which unfortunately has poor outcomes. Common anti-cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy have not increased patient survival significantly. A common treatment for HCC patients is transplantation, however, it has limitations and complications. Novel approaches are necessary to more effectively treat HCC patients. Berberine (BBR) is a nutraceutical derived from various fruits and trees, which has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as diabetes and inflammation. More recently, the anti-proliferation effects of BBR have been investigated in the treatment of patients with various cancers, especially colorectal cancer, and in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this review, we will focus on studies with BBR in liver diseases.

Arbutus unedo L. Fractions Exhibit Chemotherapeutic Properties for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Novel treatments in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are essential due to imatinib resistance and the modest results obtained with multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We investigated the possibility that the hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of Arbutus unedo L. (AUN) could harbor novel chemotherapeutics. The bio-guided fractionation of AUN led to a subfraction, FR2-A, that affected the viability of both imatinib-sensitive and -resistant GIST cells. Cells treated with FR2-A were positive for Annexin V staining, a marker of apoptosis. A rapid PARP-1 downregulation was observed, although without the traditional caspase-dependent cleavage. The fractionation of FR2-A produced nine further active subfractions (FRs), indicating that different molecules contributed to the effect promoted by FR2-A. NMR analysis revealed that pyrogallol-bearing compounds, such as gallic acid, gallic acid hexoside, gallocatechin, myricetin hexoside, and trigalloyl-glucose, are the main components of active FRs. Notably, FRs similarly impaired the viability of GIST cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), suggesting a non-specific mechanism of action. Nevertheless, despite the lack of specificity, the established FRs showed promising chemotherapeutic properties to broadly affect the viability of GIST cells, including those that are imatinib-resistant, encouraging further studies to investigate whether pyrogallol-bearing compounds could represent an alternative avenue in GISTs.

MicroRNA expression and oxidative stress markers in pectoral muscle of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with phytobiotics composition

Phytobiotic compositions are commercially used in broiler production, mostly to improve general health and the production parameters. Moreover, some of their active substances may change the expression of miRNA in different tissues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the phytobiotic composition (PBC) containing white mustard, calamus, turmeric, and common ivy on production parameters, oxidative stress markers and expression of selected miRNAs in pectoral muscle of broiler chickens. The experiment was performed on broiler chickens fed the control diet (without PBC), and a diet supplemented with 60 or 100 mg/kg of PBC for 35 days. After the experiment, samples (blood and muscle) were collected for analyses. The analyzed production parameters included: feed conversion ratio, feed intake and body weight. There was no effect on growth performance of broiler chickens but feeding diet supplemented with 60 mg/kg phytobiotics significantly increased the expression of miR-30a-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-206, and decreased that of miR-99a-5p, miR-133a-5p, miR-142-5p, and miR-222 in pectoral muscle of chickens. The addition of 100 mg/kg phytobiotics significantly increased miR-99a-5p and miR-181a-5p expression, and caused down-regulation of the expression of miR-26a-5p and miR-30a-5p. Chickens fed diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg PBC had lower level of lipid peroxidation products in blood, while in the muscle tissue it was higher in birds fed a diet with the addition of 60 mg/kg as compared to the control group. The results suggest that this unique composition of phytobiotics does not affect productive traits but can change expression of miRNAs that are crucial for muscle physiology and pathology in broiler chickens. This additive may also protect against the oxidative stress but the effect is dose dependent.

An epigenetic modulator with promising therapeutic impacts against gastrointestinal cancers: A mechanistic review on microRNA-195

Due to their high prevalence, gastrointestinal cancers are one of the key causes of cancer-related death globally. The development of drug-resistant cancer cell populations is a major factor in the high mortality rate, and it affects about half of all cancer patients. Because of advances in our understanding of cancer molecular biology, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as critical factors in the initiation and development of gastrointestinal cancers. Gene expression can be controlled in several ways by ncRNAs, including through epigenetic changes, interactions between microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and proteins, and the function of lncRNAs as miRNA precursors or pseudogenes. As lncRNAs may be detected in the blood, circulating ncRNAs have emerged as a promising new class of non-invasive cancer biomarkers for use in the detection, staging, and prognosis of gastrointestinal cancers, as well as in the prediction of therapy efficacy. In this review, we assessed the role lncRNAs play in the progression, and maintenance of colorectal cancer, and how they might be used as therapeutic targets in the future.

Roles of conventional and complementary therapies in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common type of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. HCC has a reported recurrence rate of 70%-80% after 5 years of follow-up. Controlling tumor recurrence is the most critical factor associated with HCC mortality. Conventional salvage therapies for recurrent HCC include re-hepatectomy or liver transplantation, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, Y-90, target therapy, and immunotherapy; however, these conventional treatment modalities have yet to achieve consistently favorable outcomes. Meanwhile, previous studies have demonstrated that conventional therapies in combination with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture, moxibustion or dietary supplements could notably benefit patients with HCC recurrence by strengthening and augmenting the overall management strategy. However, systemic reviews related to the interactions between complementary therapies and conventional therapy in recurrent HCC are limited. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of complementary therapies for recurrent HCC, which include augmenting the local control to improve the congestion status of primary tumors and reducing multicentric tumor occurrence via inducing autophagy, apoptosis or cell cycle arrest. TCM and its derivatives may play important roles in helping to control HCC recurrence by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion, and metastasis, inhibiting cancer stem cells, and ameliorating drug resistance.

The Protective Effect of Vitexin Compound B-1 on Rat Cerebral I/R Injury through a Mechanism Involving Modulation of miR-92b/NOX4 Pathway

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have uncovered that vitexin compound B-1 (VB-1) can protect neurons against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced oxidative injury through suppressing NOX4 expression.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study are to investigate whether VB-1 can protect the rat brain against ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury and whether its effect on NOX4 expression is related to modulation of certain miRNAs expression.

METHODS

Rats were subjected to 2 h of cerebral ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion to establish an I/R injury model, which showed an increase in neurological deficit score and infarct volume concomitant with an upregulation of NOX4 expression, increase in NOX activity, and downregulation of miR-92b.

RESULTS

Administration of VB-1 reduced I/R cerebral injury accompanied by a reverse in NOX4 and miR-92b expression. Similar results were achieved in a neuron H/R injury model. Next, we evaluated the association of miR-92b with NOX4 by its mimics in the H/R model. H/R treatment increased neurons apoptosis concomitant with an upregulation of NOX4 and NOX activity while downregulation of miR-92b. All these effects were reversed in the presence of miR-92b mimics, confirming the function of miR-92b in suppressing NOX4 expression.

CONCLUSION

We conclude the protective effect of VB-1 against rat cerebral I/R injury through a mechanism involving modulation of miR-92b/NOX4 pathway.

Garmultin-A Incites Apoptosis in CB3 Cells Through miR-17-5p by Attenuating Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1

Background

Leukemia accounts for a large number of deaths, worldwide, every year. Treating this ailment is always a challenging job. Recently, oncogenic miRNA leading to apoptosis are highly promising targets of many natural products. In this study, Garmultin-A (GA), isolated from the bark of Garcinia multiflora, was elucidated for its anti-leukemic effect in CB3 cells.

Methods

The effect of the compound on CB3 cell viability was detected by MTT assay and apoptosis by FITC Annexin V/PI and Hochest 33258 staining. The western blot analysis assessed the BAX, BCL2, cMYC, pERK, and PARP-1 protein levels. Autodock analysis predicted the ligand–protein interactions. q-RT-PCR quantified the miR-17-5p expression. Luciferase assay confirmed the interaction between PARP-1 and miR-17-5p.

Results

We uncover that GA leads to apoptosis by inducing overexpression of miR-17-5p and significantly downregulate PARP-1 protein levels in CB3 cells. The overexpression of miR-17-5p promotes apoptosis, and the miR-17-5p antagomirs restore GA-triggered apoptosis. Notably, we disclose that PARP-1 is a direct target of miR-17-5p. Increased pro-apoptotic and reduced anti-apoptosis protein levels were also observed in GA-treated CB3 cells.

Conclusion

These results provide critical insights that GA could induce apoptosis in CB3 cells through targeting miR-17-5p by attenuating PARP-1. Thus, GA could act as a novel therapeutic agent for erythroleukemia.

Ziyin Huatan Recipe, a Chinese herbal compound, inhibits migration and invasion of gastric cancer by upregulating RUNX3 expression

OBJECTIVES

Ziyin Huatan Recipe (ZYHT), a traditional Chinese medicine comprised of Lilii Bulbus, Pinelliae Rhizoma, and Hedyotis Diffusa, has shown promise in treating gastric cancer (GC). However, its potential mechanism has not yet been clearly addressed. This study aimed to predict targets and molecular mechanisms of ZYHT in treating GC by network pharmacology analysis and to explore the role of ZYHT in GC both in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

Targets and molecular mechanisms of ZYHT were predicted via network pharmacology analysis. The effects of ZYHT on the expression of metastasis-associated targets were further validated by Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. To explore the specific molecular mechanisms of the effects of ZYHT on migration and invasion, the runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) gene was knocked out by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9, and lentiviral vectors were transfected into SGC-7901 cells. Then lung metastasis model of GC in nude mice was established to explore the anti-metastasis effect of ZYHT. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the impact of ZYHT on the expression of metastasis-related proteins with or without RUNX3 gene.

RESULTS

The network pharmacology analysis showed that ZYHT might inhibit focal adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis of GC. ZYHT inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro via regulating the expression of metastasis-associated targets. Knocking out RUNX3 almost completely reversed the cell phenotypes (migration and invasion) and protein expression levels elicited by ZYHT. In vivo studies showed that ZYHT inhibited the metastasis of GC cells to the lung and prolonged the survival time of the nude mice. Knocking out RUNX3 partly reversed the metastasis of GC cells to the lung and the protein expression levels elicited by ZYHT.

CONCLUSION

ZYHT can effectively inhibit the invasion and migration of GC in vitro and in vivo, and its molecular mechanism may relate to the upregulation of RUNX3 expression.

An advanced network pharmacology study to explore the novel molecular mechanism of Compound Kushen Injection for treating hepatocellular carcinoma by bioinformatics and experimental verification

Background

Compound Kushen Injection (CKI) is a Chinese patent drug that exerts curative effects in the clinical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to explore the targets and potential pharmacological mechanisms of CKI in the treatment of HCC.

Methods

In this study, network pharmacology was used in combination with molecular biology experiments to predict and verify the molecular mechanism of CKI in the treatment of HCC. The constituents of CKI were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS and literature search. The targets corresponding to these compounds and the targets related to HCC were collected based on public databases. To screen out the potential hub targets of CKI in the treatment of HCC, a compound-HCC target network was constructed. The underlying pharmacological mechanism was explored through the subsequent enrichment analysis. Interactive Gene Expression Profiling Analysis and Kaplan-Meier plotter were used to examine the expression and prognostic value of hub genes. Furthermore, the effects of CKI on HCC were verified through molecular docking simulations and cell experiments in vitro.

Results

Network analysis revealed that BCHE, SRD5A2, EPHX2, ADH1C, ADH1A and CDK1 were the key targets of CKI in the treatment of HCC. Among them, only CDK1 was highly expressed in HCC tissues, while the other 5 targets were lowly expressed. Furthermore, the six hub genes were all closely related to the prognosis of HCC patients in survival analysis. Molecular docking revealed that there was an efficient binding potential between the constituents of CKI and BCHE. Experiments in vitro proved that CKI inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells and up-regulated SRD5A2 and ADH1A, while down-regulated CDK1 and EPHX2.

Conclusions

This study revealed and verified the targets of CKI on HCC based on network pharmacology and experiments and provided a scientific reference for further mechanism research.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-022-03530-3.

Identifying the Mechanisms of Rosa Roxburghii Tratt on Treating Gastric Cancer: Combining the Targetable Screening From the Cancer Genome Atlas With Network Pharmacology

The Chinese herbal medicine Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT) is widely used in the treatment of malignant tumors, including gastric cancer (GC), but its pharmacological mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this research was to identify the mechanisms of RRT on treating GC by using network pharmacology and molecular docking, combined with the analysis of differential expressed genes in GEO gene chips and TCGA database. We first defined the effective components of RRT and their potential targets for the treatment of GC, and identified core targets according to the topology analysis by constructing a protein-protein interaction network. Furthermore, molecular docking was used to verify the docking between the core active ingredients and the key targets. The results showed that the effect of RRT may be closely associated with multiple signal pathways, including pathways in cancer, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT serine/threonine kinase (PI3K-Akt), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). It is suggested that RRT may play an effect by regulating hypoxia, improving the tumor microenvironment, inhibiting inflammatory reactions and promoting apoptosis. The mechanism of RRT in the treatment of GC is revealed here for the first time based on network pharmacology analysis, which may provide a new direction for further exploration of the mechanisms of RRT in the treatment of GC and a new perspective for research on anti-tumor drugs.

Hydroxyl safflower yellow B combined with doxorubicin inhibits the proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells

Doxorubicin (DOX) is currently the preferred chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer, and hydroxyl safflower yellow B (HSYB) has a tumor growth-inhibiting activity. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of HSYB combined with DOX on the proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and explore the underlying mechanism. MTT and cell colony formation assays revealed that the proliferation rate of MCF-7 cells was signifiscantly decreased after HSYB and DOX treatment. Combined HSYB and DOX treatment significantly decreased the expression levels of BCL-2 in MCF-7 cells, while the expression levels of apoptosis-associated proteins, including cleaved caspase-9, BAX and cleaved caspase-3, were markedly increased. Furthermore, flow cytometry and western blot analysis demonstrated that combined HSYB and DOX treatment stimulated an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species and promoted the release of cytochrome c, leading to apoptosis. The current data suggested that the combination of HSYB and DOX may have marked antitumor activity.

Anti-Tumor Mechanisms Associated With Regulation of Non-Coding RNA by Active Ingredients of Chinese Medicine: A Review

Cancer has become the second leading cause of death worldwide; however, its complex pathogenesis remains largely unclear. Previous research has shown that cancer development and progression are closely associated with various non-coding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs, which regulate gene expression. Target gene abnormalities are regulated and engaged in the complex mechanism underlying tumor formation, thereby controlling apoptosis, invasion, and migration of tumor cells and providing potentially effective targets for the treatment of malignant tumors. Chemotherapy is a commonly used therapeutic strategy for cancer; however, its effectiveness is limited by general toxicity and tumor cell drug resistance. Therefore, increasing attention has been paid to developing new cancer treatment modalities using traditional Chinese medicines, which exert regulatory effects on multiple components, targets, and pathways. Several active ingredients in Chinese medicine, including ginsenoside, baicalin, and matrine have been found to regulate ncRNA expression levels, thus, exerting anti-tumor effects. This review summarizes the scientific progress made regarding the anti-tumor mechanisms elicited by various active ingredients of Chinese medicine in regulating non-coding RNAs, to provide a theoretical foundation for treating tumors using traditional Chinese medicine.

Whole transcriptome sequencing and integrated network analysis elucidates the effects of 3,8-Di-O-methylellagic acid 2-O-glucoside derived from Sanguisorba offcinalis L., a novel differentiation inducer on erythroleukemia cells

Acute erythroid leukemia (AEL) is a rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy with no specific treatment. Sanguisorba officinalis L. (S. officinalis), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, possesses potent anticancer activity. However, the active components of S. officinalis against AEL and the associated molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we predicted the anti-AML effect of S. officinalis based on network pharmacology. Through the identification of active components of S. officinalis, we found that 3,8-Di-O-methylellagic acid 2-O-glucoside (DMAG) not only significantly inhibited the proliferation of erythroleukemic cell line HEL, but also induced their differentiation to megakaryocytes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DMAG could prolong the survival of AEL mice model. Whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with anti-AEL effect of DMAG. The results showed that the total of 68 miRNAs, 595 lncRNAs, 4030 mRNAs and 35 circRNAs were significantly differentially expressed during DMAG induced proliferation inhibition and differentiation of HEL cells. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed that the differentially expressed miRNAs, lncRNAs, mRNAs and circRNAs were mainly involved in metabolic, HIF-1, MAPK, Notch pathway and apoptosis. The co-expression networks showed that miR-23a-5p, miR-92a-1-5p, miR-146b and miR-760 regulatory networks were crucial for megakaryocyte differentiation induced by DMAG. In conclusion, our results suggest that DMAG, derived from S. officinalis might be a potent differentiation inducer of AEL cells and provide important information on the underlying mechanisms associated with its anti-AEL activity.

Efficacy and safety of TCM therapies combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) has high incidence and mortality worldwide, and peritoneal metastasis is a primary cause of mortality in patients. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a feasible and effective treatment. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies have been combined with HIPEC for certain therapeutic advantages, but there is a lacking of evidence of evidence-based medicine. Therefore, we provide a protocol to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM therapies combined with HIPEC in the treatment for peritoneal metastasis of GC.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

From inception until December 2020, a systematic and comprehensive literature search will be conducted in both 3 English databases and 4 Chinese databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be included related to TCM therapies combined with HIPEC in the treatment for peritoneal metastasis of GC. Two researchers independently conducted data extraction and literature quality evaluation. The methodological qualities, including the risk of bias, will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool, while confidence in the cumulative evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

This study assessed the efficacy and safety of TCM therapies combined with HIPEC in the treatment of peritoneal metastasis of GC by effective rate, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), Carcinoemybryonic Angtigen remission rate, and incidence of adverse reactions etc.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence for the clinical application of TCM therapies combined with HIPEC in the treatment for peritoneal metastasis of GC.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required, as this study is based on the review of published research. This review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020120048.

Swertiamarin suppresses proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells <em>via</em> negative regulation of FRAT1

Studies have shown that swertiamarin (STM) has multiple biological activities, but its anti-tumour effects and molecular mechanisms are still unclear. The present research aimed to validate the STM's impacts on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and to study its potential mechanism. Two HCC cell lines were treated with STM. Tumour growth was observed by the mouse tumour xenografts model. HCC cell lines stably expressing T-cell lymphomas 1 (FRAT1) were generated by lentivirusmediated overexpression. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were observed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), the xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analyzer system (RTCA), and transwell analysis, respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to observe the expression of FRAT1 and proteins related to the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Tumour growth was inhibited by STM in vivo. STM suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. STM negatively regulated FRAT1 expression, whereas overexpressed FRAT1 blocked the anti-tumour function of STM. The results revealed that STM suppressed the FRAT1/Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. The findings of this study provide new insights into investigation of therapeutic strategies against HCC.

Piceatannol suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis by regulation of the microRNA‑21/phosphatase and tensin homolog/protein kinase B signaling pathway in osteosarcoma cells

Piceatannol (Pice), a natural analog of resveratrol, has been identified as an anticancer agent in various cancers by modulating the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of Pice in osteosarcoma (OS) cells remain unclear. Thus, we hypothesized that Pice exerts anticancer effects on OS cells via the regulation of miRNA expression. Herein, we performed a MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis to determine cell viability and apoptosis in OS cells treated with Pice, respectively. Our results showed that Pice inhibits proliferation in a dose-dependent manner induces the apoptosis of OS cells. More importantly, miRNA microarray analysis identified that Pice alters miRNA expression profiles in human OS cells after treatment with Pice, and miR-21 was the most significantly downregulated. In addition, the therapeutic effects of Pice on OS cells were weakened by restoration of miR-21. In addition, we further verified that phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a tumor suppressor gene, is the functional target of miR-21 and Pice blocks the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway through inhibiting miR-21 expression in OS cells. Our findings suggested that Pice may exert anticancer effects on OS cells via mediating the miR-21/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway and could be considered to be a potential anticancer agent for treating OS.

In Vitro Anti-hepatoma Activities of Notoginsenoside R1 Through Downregulation of Tumor Promoter miR-21

BACKGROUND

Notoginsenoside R1 (NG-R1) is the predominant active ingredient and a novel triterpene saponin compound extracted from the roots of Panax notoginseng. To date, to the best of our knowledge, there are no previous studies concerning the effect of NG-R1 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

AIMS

To investigate the effects of NG-R1 on HCC cell growth, apoptosis, and invasion and to explore the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and LDH assay, respectively. Apoptosis was assessed using flow cytometry analysis and caspase-3/7 activity assay. Cell invasion was detected by Transwell invasion assay and western blot analysis of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. The effects of NG-R1 on miR-21 expression and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway were examined by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively.

RESULTS

NG-R1 inhibited the viability, increased LDH release and caspase-3/7 activity, induced apoptosis, and suppressed invasion in HCC cells. NG-R1 reduced miR-21 expression in HCC cells. miR-21 overexpression significantly attenuated the effects of NG-R1 on the viability, LDH release, apoptosis, caspase-3/7 activity, and invasion of HCC cells. We further demonstrated that NG-R1 inhibited the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in HCC cells, which was abolished by miR-21 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

NG-R1 exerted anti-hepatoma activity through inactivation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by downregulating miR-21, contributing to further understanding of the anti-tumor activities of NG-R1 in HCC.

Wogonin inhibits cell cycle progression by activating the glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Wogonin has been reported to exhibit various biological activities such as anti-inflammation, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor. Previous studies have demonstrated that wogonin could down-regulate Cyclin D1 activity on multiple cancers. However, the related mechanisms have not been fully elucidated so far.

PURPOSE

The aim of the current study was to explore whether wogonin can suppress hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and the mechanism of wogonin in inhibiting Cyclin D1 expression.

METHODS

Herein, we assessed the anti-tumor activity of wogonin against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by MTT assay, clonogenic assay, cell cycle analysis and orthotopic xenograft mouse models. Western blot, immunofluoscence assay, co-immunoprecipitation assay, docking program, surface plasmon resonance, site-directed mutagenesis assay and immunohistochemical assay were performed for exploring the underlying mechanisms of wogonin-induced growth inhibition in HCC.

RESULTS

Our results showed that non-toxic dosage of wogonin (10, 20 µM) could inhibit cells proliferation and suppress cells cycle progression in MHCC97L and HepG2 cell. Moreover, the findings from the western blot and immunofluoscence assay confirmed the inhibition action of wogonin (10, 20 µM) on Cyclin D1 expression in MHCC97L cells, and wogonin (10, 20 µM) pre-treatment was capable of promoting Cyclin D1 ubiquitination and degradation in MHCC97L cell. In addition, wogonin promoted phosphorylation of Cyclin D1 on threonine-286 site, the mutation of threonine-286 to alanine-286A blocked Cyclin D1 proteolysis induced by wogonin. Wogonin-promoted Cyclin D1 phosphorylation and subsequent proteolysis may associate with the activation of GSK3beta in cancer cells. The phosphorylated form of GSK3beta (active form) expression was significantly increased after wogonin (20 µM) exposure. Molecular docking study and Biacore SPR analysis of GSK3beta mutant further validated the high-affinity wogonin binding site on GSK3beta. Moreover, in vivo studies further confirmed that phospho-GSK3beta Tyr216 was over-expressed in HCC specimens after wogonin treatment while the amount of Cyclin D1 was significantly decreased.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our data reveal a novel molecular mechanism by which wogonin induces HCC cells cycle arrest and suppresses tumor proliferation.

Quercetin pretreatment enhances the radiosensitivity of colon cancer cells by targeting Notch-1 pathway

Cancer stem-like cells are rare immortal cells within tumor, which are thought to play important roles in ionizing radiation (IR) therapy-resistance. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid with potential anti-cancer properties without significant cytotoxicity in normal tissues. In this study, we demonstrated that quercetin-IR combination treatment exhibited more dramatic anti-cancer effect than either quercetin or IR treatment alone via targeting colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) and inhibiting the Notch-1 signaling. These effects were further verified by in vivo studies which showed remarkable decrease of the CSCs markers and the expression of Notch-1 signaling proteins in human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice. Co-treatment with quercetin and low dose of radiation significantly reduced the expressions of all five proteins of γ-secretase complex in HT-29 and DLD-1 cells. In addition, ectopic expression of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) partly reversed the inhibition effects by the combination therapy. In conclusion, our results indicated that the combination of quercetin (20 μM) and IR (5Gy) might be a promising therapeutic strategy for colon cancer treatment by targeting colon cancer stem-like cells and inhibiting the Notch-1 signaling. In future studies, we intend to further explore the potential therapeutic efficacy of the quercetin-radiation combination treatment in clinical trials.

MepmiRDB: a medicinal plant microRNA database

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as a key regulator in plant development and metabolism. Recent reports showed that the miRNAs of medicinal plants not only act as a critical modulator in secondary metabolism but also had a great potential of performing cross-kingdom gene regulation. Although several plant miRNA repositories have been publicly available, no miRNA database specific for medicinal plants has been reported to date. Here, we report the first version of MepmiRDB (medicinal plant microRNA database), which is freely accessible at http://mepmirdb.cn/mepmirdb/index.html. This database accommodates thousands of miRNA candidates belonging to 29 medicinal plant species. The miRNA information on sequences, expression patterns and regulatory networks has been included in the functional modules of the database. Specifically, the 'Sequence' module provides the sequences of the mature miRNAs and their precursors, and the structure information of the precursors. Moreover, the processing and small RNA accumulation signals on the miRNA precursors are also included in the 'Sequence' module. The organ/growth condition-specific expression information of the mature miRNAs has been stored in the 'Expression' module. The 'Interaction' module offers the information of the degradome-validated miRNA-target pairs of eight plant species. The 'Search' module enables users to search for the miRNAs by plant species and miRNA families, or by sequences. All data in this database are available for download. Taken together, the functional modules of MepmiRDB ensure its importance and timeliness for mechanistic and functional studies on the medicinal plant miRNAs.

Baicalein-Enriched Fraction Extracted from Oroxylum indicum (L.) Benth. ex Kurz Leaves Exerts Antioxidant and Inhibitory Effects Against Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant subtype of primary brain cancer. To date, standard clinical treatment for GBM is limited in effectiveness and could impose additional side effects. Recently, numerous bioactive compounds isolated from natural plants appear to have beneficial anti-cancer properties. Here, the GBM inhibitory effect of baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid extracted from Oroxylum indicum (L.) Benth. ex Kurz, was evaluated. Firstly, three solvents were used to extract the baicalein. We found that the binary extraction system, using a combination of petroleum ether and methanol (PM), yielded the highest amount of baicalein (15%) compared to the mono extraction system using methanol (13%) or aqueous (0.04%) only. In order to further enhance the baicalein yield in PM crude extract, it was subjected to an enrichment fractionation procedure, which successfully increased the baicalein by nearly two-fold from the initial crude extract (15%) to the enriched fraction 5 (F5) (29%). The enriched F5 not only showed significantly higher (~2.5-fold) antioxidant properties as compared to the crude extract, it was also found to significantly suppress GBM cell proliferation ~2.5-fold better than the crude extract. In conclusion, this study successfully optimized an extraction procedure for increased yield of baicalein metabolite from O. indicum leaves and enhanced its therapeutic potential for GBM treatment.

Anti-gastric cancer effect of Salidroside through elevating miR-99a expression

Salidroside is an active ingredient extracted from Rhodiola rosea that has anti-tumor activities. The current paper attempted to assess the impact of Salidroside on gastric cancer (GC) and explore the potential mechanism. GC cell lines (SNU-216 and MGC803) and gastric epithelial cell line GES-1 were treated with Salidroside. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry and Transwell assay were respectively performed to evaluate GC cells phenotype. qRT-PCR and western blot were conducted to reveal the downstream genes and signaling of Salidroside. We found that 800 μM Salidroside was capable of reducing GC cells viability, while has no such impacts on GES-1 cells. Salidroside inhibited GC cells proliferation, migration, invasion and promoted apoptosis, which coupled with the down-regulation of p21, Bcl-2, MMP2, RhoA, p-ROCK1, Vimentin and the up-regulations of CyclinD1, Bax, cleaved caspases. miR-99a was found to be highly expressed in response to Salidroside treatment. Besides, the inhibition of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling induced by Salidroside was attenuated by miR-99a silence and in this process, IGF1R worked as a target of miR-99a. The anti-GC effect of Salidroside was also confirmed in a mouse model of GC. The promoting effect of Salidroside on miR-99a expression was also verified in vivo. Furthermore, Salidroside promoted the cisplatin-sensitivity of SGC7901/DDP cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that Salidroside possessed anti-GC effects through regulating miR-99a/IGF1R axis and inhibiting MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways.

Acetylshikonin Sensitizes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells to Apoptosis through ROS-Mediated Caspase Activation

The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has shown strong and explicit cancer cell-selectivity, which results in little toxicity toward normal tissues, and has been recognized as a potential, relatively safe anticancer agent. However, several cancers are resistant to the apoptosis induced by TRAIL. A recent study found that shikonin b (alkannin, 5,8-dihydroxy-2-[(1S)-1-hydroxy-4-methylpent-3-en-1-yl]naphthalene-1,4-dione) might induce apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant cholangiocarcinoma cells through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated caspases activation. However, the strong cytotoxic activity has limited its potential as an anticancer drug. Thus, the current study intends to discover novel shikonin derivatives which can sensitize the liver cancer cell to TRAIL-induced apoptosis while exhibiting little toxicity toward the normal hepatic cell. The trypan blue exclusion assay, western blot assay, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay as well as the ‘comet’ assay, were used to study the underlying mechanisms of cell death and to search for any mechanisms of an enhancement of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in the presence of ASH. Herein, we demonstrated that non-cytotoxic doses of acetylshikonin (ASH), one of the shikonin derivatives, in combination with TRAIL, could promote apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Further studies showed that application of ASH in a non-cytotoxic dose (2.5 μM) could increase intracellular ROS production and induce DNA damage, which might trigger a cell intrinsic apoptosis pathway in the TRAIL-resistant HepG2 cell. Combination treatment with a non-cytotoxic dose of ASH and TRAIL activated caspase and increased the cleavage of PARP-1 in the HepG2 cell. However, when intracellular ROS production was suppressed by N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), the synergistic effects of ASH and TRAIL on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell apoptosis was abolished. Furthermore, NAC could alleviate p53 and the p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) expression induced by TRAIL and ASH. Small (or short) interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting PUMA or p53 significantly reversed ASH-mediated sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. In addition, Bax gene deficiency also abolished ASH-induced TRAIL sensitization. An orthotopical HCC implantation mice model further confirmed that co-treated ASH overcomes TRAIL resistance in HCC cells without exhibiting potent toxicity in vivo. In conclusion, the above data suggested that ROS could induce DNA damage and activating p53/PUMA/Bax signaling, and thus, this resulted in the permeabilization of mitochondrial outer membrane and activating caspases as well as sensitizing the HCC cell to apoptosis induced by TRAIL and ASH treatment.

Bioinformatics-assisted, integrated omics studies on medicinal plants

The immense therapeutic and economic values of medicinal plants have attracted increasing attention from the worldwide researchers. It has been recognized that production of the authentic and high-quality herbal drugs became the prerequisite for maintaining the healthy development of the traditional medicine industry. To this end, intensive research efforts have been devoted to the basic studies, in order to pave a way for standardized authentication of the plant materials, and bioengineering of the metabolic pathways in the medicinal plants. In this paper, the recent advances of omics studies on the medicinal plants were summarized from several aspects, including phenomics and taxonomics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. We proposed a multi-omics data-based workflow for medicinal plant research. It was emphasized that integration of the omics data was important for plant authentication and mechanistic studies on plant metabolism. Additionally, the computational tools for proper storage, efficient processing and high-throughput analyses of the omics data have been introduced into the workflow. According to the workflow, authentication of the medicinal plant materials should not only be performed at the phenomics level but also be implemented by genomic and metabolomic marker-based examination. On the other hand, functional genomics studies, transcriptional regulatory networks and protein-protein interactions will contribute greatly for deciphering the secondary metabolic pathways. Finally, we hope that our work could inspire further efforts on the bioinformatics-assisted, integrated omics studies on the medicinal plants.

Ipatasertib sensitizes colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through ROS-mediated caspase activation

Due to TRAIL's explicit cancer cell-selectivity, the current study aimed to explore novel agents that sensitized cancer cell for TRAIL-induced apoptosis while sparing normal cell. In this study, we found that TRAIL could induce PARP-1 cleavage and apoptosis in colon cancer HCT116 cell, but HT-29 cell was not sensitive to TRAIL. However, non-cytotoxic doses of ipatasertib in conjunction with TRAIL could induce apoptosis in HT-29 cell. Mechanism studies showed that intracellular ROS level was significant increased during ipatasertib treatment. Excessive cellular levels of ROS further induced DNA damage and subsequently activated apoptotic signaling pathways in TRAIL-resistant HT-29 cells. Combined treatment with sub-toxic doses of ipatasertib and TRAIL leads to caspase activation and PARP-1 cleavage in HT-29 cells. Pretreated with NAC, an antioxidant, could inhibit ROS production and PARP-1 cleavage as well as prevent cell apoptotic death induced by combination therapy with TRAIL and ipatasertib. In addition, NAC can block the up-regulation of p53/PUMA induced by combined treatment with ipatasertib and TRAIL. Transfection with p53 or Puma siRNA for 48 h can reverse ipatasertib-mediated TRAIL sensitization. In conclusion, p53 and PUMA may play a pivotal role in sensitizing colon cancer cell to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by sub-toxic doses of ipatasertib treatment.

Dual Effects of Chinese Herbal Medicines on Angiogenesis in Cancer and Ischemic Stroke Treatments: Role of HIF-1 Network

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)–induced angiogenesis has been involved in numerous pathological conditions, and it may be harmful or beneficial depending on the types of diseases. Exploration on angiogenesis has sparked hopes in providing novel therapeutic approaches on multiple diseases with high mortality rates, such as cancer and ischemic stroke. The HIF-1 pathway is considered to be a major regulator of angiogenesis. HIF-1 seems to be involved in the vascular formation process by synergistic correlations with other proangiogenic factors in cancer and cerebrovascular disease. The regulation of HIF-1–dependent angiogenesis is related to the modulation of HIF-1 bioactivity by regulating HIF-1α transcription or protein translation, HIF-1α DNA binding, HIF-1α and HIF-1α dimerization, and HIF-1 degradation. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have a long history of clinical use in both cancer and stroke treatments in Asia. Growing evidence has demonstrated potential proangiogenic benefits of Chinese herbal medicines in ischemic stroke, whereas tumor angiogenesis could be inhibited by the active components in Chinese herbal medicines. The objective of this review is to provide comprehensive insight on the effects of Chinese herbal medicines on angiogenesis by regulating HIF-1 pathways in both cancer and ischemic stroke.

Celastrus orbiculatus Extracts Inhibit Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth by Targeting mTOR Signaling Pathways

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the molecular mechanism underlying the antineoplastic activity of Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. extracts (COE).

METHODS

The human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) knockdown expressed (HepG2/mTOR) were constructed using molecular biological technology. In vitro, the HepG2/mTOR^- cells were treated with COE at various concentrations (10, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 µ g/mL). Cell viability was determined using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. According to the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value (140 mg/L), the concentrations of COE in the subsequent experiment was set to alleviate cytotoxicity. The HepG2/mTOR^- cells were divided into 5 groups: negative control (untreated), COE treatment groups (40, 80, 120 mg/L COE) and positive control group (cisplatin, DDP, 2 mg/L), respectively. Wild-type HepG2 cells were used as a blank control. The effects of COE on the cell apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), respectively. The protein expression levels of mTOR signal pathways were determined by Western blotting. In vivo, HepG2/mTOR^- cells (2 × 10⁶ cell/mice) were subcutaneously injected into the right flank of nude mice. Thirty-six female nude mice were randomly assigned to 6 groups according to body weight (6 mice per group) as follows: solvent vehicle control, Banmao Capsule treated group (BM, 195 mg/kg), Tegafur, Gimeracil and Oteracil Potassium Capsules (10 mg/kg) treated group, and different dosages of COE (10, 20, 40 mg/kg) groups. Tumor growth was monitored and immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in tumor tissues.

RESULTS

COE inhibited the proliferation significantly in a concentration-dependent manner in HepG2/mTOR^- cells (P<0.01). COE significantly induced the apoptosis of HepG2/mTOR^- cells (P<0.01), and the apoptotic bodies can be observed under TEM. COE significantly inhibits the proteins expression of mTOR-related signal pathways. In vivo, COE significantly inhibited tumor growth in nude mice (P<0.01). Moreover, the results showed that COE down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and up-regulated the levels of Bax and caspase-3 protein (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

COE was a potential chemotherapeutic drug in HCC treatments via targeting mTOR signal pathway.

Bioactive Ingredients in Chinese Herbal Medicines That Target Non-coding RNAs: Promising New Choices for Disease Treatment

Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are widely used in China and have long been a powerful method to treat diseases in Chinese people. Bioactive ingredients are the main components extracted from herbs that have therapeutic properties. Since artemisinin was discovered to inhibit malaria by Nobel laureate Youyou Tu, extracts from natural plants, particularly bioactive ingredients, have aroused increasing attention among medical researchers. The bioactive ingredients of some CHMs have been found to target various non-coding RNA molecules (ncRNAs), especially miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, which have emerged as new treatment targets in numerous diseases. Here we review the evidence that, by regulating the expression of ncRNAs, these ingredients exert protective effects, including pro-apoptosis, anti-proliferation and anti-migration, anti-inflammation, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-infection, anti-senescence, and suppression of structural remodeling. Consequently, they have potential as treatment agents in diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, nervous system disease, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, infectious diseases, and senescence-related diseases. Although research has been relatively limited and inadequate to date, the promising choices and new alternatives offered by bioactive ingredients for the treatment of the above diseases warrant serious investigation.

Akebia trifoliata (Thunb.) Koidz Seed Extract inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration and invasion in vitro

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The high recurrence rate postoperative and extensive metastases have become the obstacle of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) efficacy improvements, which contribute to most of the patient mortality. Akebia trifoliata (Thunb.) Koidz has been shown pharmacological activities in clinical and anti-HCC biological activity in previous research, but its potential function of anti-metastasis remains unknown.

AIM OF THIS STUDY

To make sure whether ATKSE inhibits migration and invasion in HCC cell lines in vitro and the potential mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A UHPLC-HRMS analysis was adopted to identify and control the quality of the ethanol extract of Akebia trifoliata (Thunb.) Koidz Seed (abbreviated ATKSE). Cell viability of three kinds of HCC cell lines (HEPG2, HUH7, and SMMC7721) was detected using MTT assay and Flow cytometry. Adhesion capacity was measured by cell-matrigel adhesion assay. Wounded healing and Matrigel-transwell invasion assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion, respectively. Western blot assay was used to detect several metastasis-related protein molecules, including FAK adhesion signaling, cadherin molecules, and MMPs. ELISA assay was used to evaluate the secreted MMP9 level.

RESULTS

ATKSE significantly suppressed HCC cells viability and proliferation (from 0.9 up to 3.0 mg/ml); then under sub-lethal concentration (from 0.25 up to 1.0 mg/ml), ATKSE inhibited cell adhesion, migration, and invasion in a way of dose-dependent. Several metastatic-related molecules or pathway, including FAK adhesion signaling, cadherin molecules, and MMPs, took part in this process. There are both differences and commonalities in various cell lines: typically such as p-FAK was down-regulated by ATKSE in both HEPG2 and SMMC7721, while was raised in HUH7; Further attempts on the combination of ATKSE and FAK inhibitors, provide us with the enhanced inhibitory effects of invasion and migration in HEPG2 and HUH7 cells, as well as antagonistic effects in SMMC7721. As a target or potential mechanism, it may be more valuable to concern FAK inhibition by ATKSE in HEPG2 cells than in the other two cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that ATKSE has anti-metastasis potency in HCC cells.

Regulation of Cell Signaling Pathways by Berberine in Different Cancers: Searching for Missing Pieces of an Incomplete Jig-Saw Puzzle for an Effective Cancer Therapy

There has been a renewed interest in the identification of natural products having premium pharmacological properties and minimum off-target effects. In accordance with this approach, natural product research has experienced an exponential growth in the past two decades and has yielded a stream of preclinical and clinical insights which have deeply improved our knowledge related to the multifaceted nature of cancer and strategies to therapeutically target deregulated signaling pathways in different cancers. In this review, we have set the spotlight on the scientifically proven ability of berberine to effectively target a myriad of deregulated pathways.

Kaempferol inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of liver cancer HepG2 cells by down-regulation of microRNA-21

Liver cancer is one of the most common and lethal cancers in human digestive system, which kills more than half a million people every year worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the effects of kaempferol, a flavonoid compound isolated from vegetables and fruits, on hepatic cancer HepG2 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, as well as microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression. Cell viability was detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell proliferation was measured using 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed using Guava Nexin assay. Cell migration and invasion were determined using two-chamber migration (invasion) assay. Cell transfection was used to change the expression of miR-21. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to analyze the expressions of miR-21 and phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). Expression of key proteins involved in proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase 3/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway were evaluated using western blotting. Results showed that kaempferol significantly inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis. Kaempferol remarkably reduce the expression of miR-21 in HepG2 cells. Overexpression of miR-21 obviously reversed the effects of kaempferol on HepG2 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. Moreover, miR-21 negatively regulated the expression of PTEN in HepG2 cells. Kaempferol enhanced the expression of PTEN and inactivated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. In conclusion, kaempferol inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of HepG2 cells by down-regulating miR-21 and up-regulating PTEN, as well as inactivating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Bioinformatic analysis of miR-4792 regulates Radix Tetrastigma hemsleyani flavone to inhibit proliferation, invasion, and induce apoptosis of A549 cells

BACKGROUND

Radix Tetrastigma hemsleyani, a kind of Chinese medicinal herb, contains multiple medicinal ingredients and can exert a variety of pharmacological activities. Our previous study revealed that miR-4792 was significantly upregulated in Radix Tetrastigma hemsleyani flavone (RTHF)-treated A549 cells; however, the regulatory mechanism of RTHF-treated A549 cells remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we investigated the antitumor mechanism and regulatory pathway of miR-4792 in RTHF-treated A549 cells, and the target genes were predicted and pathway enrichment of miR-4792 was performed using bioinformatic analysis.

RESULTS

Our results confirmed that the upregulated expression of miR-4792 could inhibit cell proliferation and invasion, provoke cell cycle arrest, and induce apoptosis in A549 cells. Gene Ontology analysis showed that target genes of miR-4792 were enriched in protein binding, cytosol, cytoplasm, plasma membrane, and metal ion binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that target genes of miR-4792 were enriched in aminoacyltRNA biosynthesis, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, sphingolipid signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, glycosaminoglycan degradation, and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. Additionally, FOXC1 was identified as an important target gene of miR-4792 in RTHF-treated A549 cells, and miR-4792 may be the target of some apoptotic-related proteins involved in induction of apoptosis in A549 cells by RTHF. Moreover, the intracellular Ca2+ levels of A549 cells were increased after RTHF treatment, which may be involved in the anticancer regulatory process of miR-4792 in RTHF-treated A549 cells.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest a novel therapeutic approach for lung cancer that will be investigated in future studies.

Phyto-miRNAs-based regulation of metabolites biosynthesis in medicinal plants

Medicinal plants, are known to produce a wide range of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) applied as insecticides, drugs, dyes and toxins in agriculture, medicine, industry and bio-warfare plus bio-terrorism, respectively. However, production of PSMs is usually in small quantities, so we need to find novel ways to increase both quantity and quality of them. Fortunately, biotechnology suggests several options through which secondary metabolism in plants can be engineered in innovative ways to: 1) over-produce the useful metabolites, 2) down-produce the toxic metabolites, 3) produce the new metabolites. Among the ways, RNA interference (RNAi) technology which involves gene-specific regulation by small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) have been recently emerged as a promising tool for plant biotechnologist, not only to decipher the function of plant genes, but also for development of the plants with improved and novel traits through manipulation of both desirable and undesirable genes. Among sncRNAs, miRNAs have been recorded various regulatory roles in plants such as development, signal transduction, response to environmental stresses, metabolism. Certainly, the use of miRNAs in metabolic engineering requires identification of miRNAs involved in metabolites biosynthesis, understanding of the biosynthetic pathways, as well as the identification of key points of the pathways in which the miRNAs have their own effect. Thus, we firstly consider these three issues on metabolic engineering of medicinal plants. Our review shows, application of miRNAs can open a novel perspective to metabolic engineering of medicinal plants.

Anticancer Action and Mechanism of Ergosterol Peroxide from Paecilomyces cicadae Fermentation Broth

Isaria cicadae, a medicinal food fungus, is a fruit from Paecilomyces cicadae. In this study, we purified ergosterol peroxide (EP) from the fermentation broth of P. cicadae and investigated its effects on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells, in vitro. EP was purified from P. cicadae fermentation broth. The human RCC cell line 786-0 was used to analyze the anticancer mechanism of EP and inhibit its effect on cancer cell proliferation, in vitro. EP with a validated structure showed a yield rate of 20.1 mg/L and a purity of 96%. EP significantly inhibited RCC cell growth and clone formation in vitro. In addition, EP suppressed the migration and invasion, triggered the apoptosis, and modulated the cell cycle of RCC cells, in a dose-dependent manner. It also downregulated β-catenin expression. EP could be routinely produced through P. cicadae. It fights RCC cells in vitro through multiple mechanisms, including suppressing cell growth, colonization, migration, and invasion, arresting the cell cycle, attenuating β-catenin pathways, and triggering apoptosis.

Role of MicroRNAs Induced by Chinese Herbal Medicines Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Brief Review

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, noncoding small RNAs that regulate gene expression, and consequently several important functions including early embryo development, cell cycle, programmed cell death, cell differentiation, and metabolism. While there are no effective treatments available against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), some Chinese herbal medicines have been shown to regulate growth, differentiation, invasion, and metastasis of HCC. Many studies have shown that Chinese herbal medicines regulate the expression of miRNAs and this may be associated with their ability to control the development of HCC. In this article, the effects of Chinese herbal medicines on the expression of miRNAs and their functions in the regulation of HCC have been reviewed and discussed. miRNAs such as miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 mediated by Chinese herbal medicines may be good biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC.

Improved anticancer properties of stem cells derived exosomes by prolonged release from PCL nanofibrous structure

Systemic chemotherapy as a routine method for the treatment of cancers has several complications. Localized chemotherapy can significantly increase the treatment efficacy and reduce side effects. Here, mesenchymal stem cells derived microvesicles (MVs) was incorporated into Polycaprolactone nanofibers and then the apoptotic behavior of MCF-7 breast cancer cells was investigated while cultured on MVs-Polycaprolactone by using SEM, MTT and apoptotic gene expression. Results demonstrated that MVs-Polycaprolactone group was shown a great apoptosis induction potential into MCF-7 cells and it can be concluded that MVs-Polycaprolactone has a great promising potential to introduce as an in-situ tumor inhibitor construct rather than chemo-drugs.

Network Pharmacology-Based Approach to Investigate the Mechanisms of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. in the Treatment of Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (HDW) is one of the renowned herbs often used in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). However, its curative mechanism has not been fully elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically investigate the mechanisms of HDW in GC.

METHODS

A network pharmacology approach mainly comprising target prediction, network construction, and module analysis was adopted in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 353 targets of the 32 bioactive compounds in HDW were obtained. The network analysis showed that CA isoenzymes, p53, PIK3CA, CDK2, P27Kip1, cyclin D1, cyclin B1, cyclin A2, AKT1, BCL2, MAPK1, and VEGFA were identified as key targets of HDW in the treatment of GC. The functional enrichment analysis indicated that HDW probably produced the therapeutic effects against GC by synergistically regulating many biological pathways, such as nucleotide excision repair, apoptosis, cell cycle, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, and Ras signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

This study holistically illuminates the fact that the pharmacological mechanisms of HDW in GC might be strongly associated with its synergic modulation of apoptosis, cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis.

Shikonin suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in endometrioid endometrial cancer cells via modulating miR-106b/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Shikonin, a natural naphthoquinone isolated from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, which exerts anticancer effects in various cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of shikonin against endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) have not yet been fully elucidated. Herein, we investigated anticancer effects of shikonin on EEC cells and explored the underlying molecular mechanism. We observed that shikonin inhibits proliferation in human EEC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, shikonin-induced apoptosis was characterized by the up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic proteins cleaved-Caspase-3 and Bax, and the down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Microarray analyses demonstrated that shikonin induces many miRNAs' dysregulation, and miR-106b was one of the miRNAs being most significantly down-regulated. miR-106b was identified to exert procancer effect in various cancers, but in EEC remains unclear. We first confirmed that miR-106b is up-regulated in EEC tissues and cells, and knockdown of miR-106b suppresses proliferation and promotes apoptosis. Meanwhile, our results validated that the restored expression of miR-106b abrogates the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of shikonin. We also identified that miR-106b targets phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a tumor suppressor gene, which in turn modulates AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Our findings indicated that shikonin inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis in human EEC cells by modulating the miR-106b/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, suggesting shikonin could act a potential therapeutic agent in the EEC treatment.

Extract of Stellerachamaejasme L(ESC) inhibits growth and metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating microRNA expression

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are involved in the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. ESC, an extract of Stellerachamaejasme L, had been confirmed as a potential anti-tumor extract of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In light of the important role of miRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma, we questioned whether the inhibitory effects of ESC on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were associated with miRNAs.

METHODS

The proliferation inhibition of ESC on HCC cells was measured with MTT assay. The migration inhibition of ESC on HCC cells was measured with transwell assay. The influences of ESC on growth and metastasis inhibition were evaluated with xenograft tumor model of HCC. Protein expressions were measured with western blot and immunofluorescence methods and miRNA profiles were detected with miRNA array. Differential miRNA and target mRNAs were verified with real-time PCR.

RESULTS

The results showed that ESC could inhibit proliferation and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in xenograft models in vivo. miRNA array results showed that 69 differential miRNAs in total of 429 ones were obtained in MHCC97H cells treated by ESC. hsa-miR-107, hsa-miR-638, hsa-miR-106b-5p were selected to be validated with real-time PCR method in HepG2 and MHCC97H cells. Expressions of hsa-miR-107 and hsa-miR-638 increased obviously in HCC cells treated by ESC. Target genes of three miRNAs were also validated with real-time PCR. Interestingly, only target genes of hsa-miR-107 changed greatly. ESC downregulated the MCL1, SALL4 and BCL2 gene expressions significantly but did not influence the expression of CACNA2D1.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggested ESC regressed growth and metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating microRNAs expression and their corresponding target genes.

Honokiol suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis via regulation of the miR‑21/PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in human osteosarcoma cells

Honokiol (HNK) is a small biphenolic compound, which exerts antineoplastic effects in various types of cancer. However, the mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of HNK in osteosarcoma (OS) cells is not yet fully understood. Emerging evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve key roles in numerous pathological processes, including cancer. It has previously been reported that Chinese medicinal herbs harbor anticancer properties via modulating miRNA expression. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine whether HNK could suppress OS cell growth by regulating miRNA expression. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometric analysis were used to evaluate the cell proliferation and apoptosis in human OS cells after treatment with HNK, respectively. The results demonstrated that HNK inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human OS cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, HNK-induced apoptosis was characterized by upregulation of proapoptotic proteins, including cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein, and downregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) verified that HNK was able to induce aberrant expression of miRNAs in human OS cells, and miR-21 was one of the miRNAs that was most significantly downregulated. To further investigate miR-21 function, the present study validated that HNK reduces miR-21 levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, restoration of miR-21 expression abrogated the suppressive effects of HNK on OS cells. Luciferase assay and western blot analysis identified that miR-21 inhibits the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) by directly targeting its 3′-UTR. Notably, HNK was able to suppress the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway; however, it was reactivated by miR-21 overexpression. Taken together, these data indicated that HNK may inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human OS cells by modulating the miR-21/PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, miR-21 may be considered a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of osteosarcoma with HNK.

Celastrus orbiculatus extracts induce apoptosis and inhibit invasion by targeting the maspin gene in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells

Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. has been used as a remedy against cancer and inflammatory diseases for thousands of years in China. Maspin is expressed in normal cells and downregulated in prostate tumor cells. The underlying mechanisms between C. orbiculatus extract (COE) and maspin remain unclear. In the present study, 3 target-specific 19–25 nucleotide maspin small interfering RNAs were designed and synthesized to knockdown maspin expression. The effects of COE on MGC-803/maspin⁻ cell proliferation were evaluated by the MTT assay. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Invasive activity was measured with the Transwell assay and the associated molecular mechanisms were assessed by western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that COE significantly promoted the expression of maspin (P<0.01) to induce apoptosis and inhibit invasion and migration in MGC803 cells. The expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinase (Erk), B cell lymphoma-2-associated X protein and caspase-3 were increased in the MGC-803/maspin⁻ cells in a dose-dependent manner. The Erk, B-cell lymphoma 2, p-Akt, Akt and p-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein in MGC-803/maspin⁻ cells were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. This indicated that COE may inhibit invasion and migration through phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways in MGC-803/maspin⁻ cells. In conclusion, COE has the ability to improve the expression of maspin to induce apoptosis and inhibit invasion and migration in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells.

Targeting tumor-associated macrophages by anti-tumor Chinese materia medica

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a key role in all stages of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. TAMs secrete different kinds of cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes to affect the progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy depending on their state of reprogramming. Therapeutic benefit in targeting TAMs suggests that macrophages are attractive targets for cancer treatment. Chinese materia medica (CMM) is an important approach for treating cancer in China and in the Asian region. According to the theory of Chinese medicine (CM) and its practice, some prescriptions of CM regulate the body's internal environment possibly including the remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we briefly summarize the pivotal effects of TAMs in shaping the TME and promoting tumorigenesis, invasion, metastasis and immunosuppression. Furthermore, we illustrate the effects and mechanisms of CMM targeting TAMs in antitumor therapy. Finally, we reveal the CMM's dual-regulatory and multi-targeting functions on regulating TAMs, and hopefully, provide the theoretical basis for CMM clinical practice related to cancer therapy.

Comparative efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal injections combined with the FOLFOX regimen for treating gastric cancer in China: a network meta-analysis

Background

Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) have been proven beneficial to patients with gastric cancer for improving clinical efficacy and relieving adverse reactions (ADRs) of chemotherapy. A network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted in this study to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of CHIs combined with FOLFOX regimen for treating gastric cancer.

Results

A total of 2316 records were searched, and 81 eligible RCTs involving 15 types of CHIs and 5978 patients were included in the NMA. The results showed that patients who received Shengqifuzheng+ FOLFOX, Compound kushen+ FOLFOX, Huachansu+ FOLFOX, Astragalus+ FOLFOX, Kangai+ FOLFOX, and Lentinan injection + FOLFOX could significantly improve clinical efficacy than using FOLFOX single, and their odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)s were 1.57 (1.19,2.09), 2.12 (1.62,2.78),1.72 (1.08,2.80), 3.06 (1.01,8.99), 2.01 (1.52,2.70), and 1.99 (1.20,3.38) respectively. Furthermore, the therapy of Aidi+ FOLFOX, Shenqifuzheng+ FOLFOX, Compound Kushen+ FOLFOX, Huachansu+ FOLFOX, Astragalus polysaccharides+ FOLFOX, Kangai+ FOLFOX, Ginseng polysaccharide+ FOLFOX, Lentinan+ FOLFOX, Xiaoaiping+ FOLFOX, and Shenmai injection + FOLFOX could also achieve a higher performance status compared with FOLFOX regimen alone. Similarly, patients who received CHIs combine with FOLFOX regimen were associated with a significantly decrease the incidence of leucopenia, gastrointestinal reaction and hepatic dysfunction. Cluster analysis demonstrated that Astragalus polysaccharides+ FOLFOX, and Kangai+ FOLFOX seemed optimal therapies in improving clinical efficacy and performance status; Astragalus polysaccharides+ FOLFOX was superior in reducing leucopenia and gastrointestinal reaction; Disodium Cantharidinate and Vitamin B6+ FOLFOX was associated with favorable effects in reducing gastrointestinal reaction and hepatic dysfunction. By contrary, receiving FOLFOX regimen single was proved to rank the worst for these outcomes.

Materials and Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed in several electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trial (RCTs) regarding CHIs for gastric cancer until January 10, 2017. The quality assessment was accomplished according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the methodological section of the CONSORT statement. And a random-effects model NMA was utilized to compare different CHIs combined with FOLFOX regimen with regard to efficacy and safety. Data were analyzed using STATA 12.0 and Win-BUGS 1.4 software.

Conclusions

The results of this NMA suggested that among 15 types of CHIs, Astragalus polysaccharides injection combined with FOLFOX regimen seemed optimal for patients with gastric cancer in improving clinical efficacy and performance status, and relieving ADRs. However, our findings should be confirmed by more prospectively designed, large-sample and multi-center RCTs.