Tubeimoside-1 Inhibits Glioblastoma Growth, Migration, and Invasion via Inducing Ubiquitylation of MET

Correction: Cao et al. Tubeimoside-1 Inhibits Glioblastoma Growth, Migration, and Invasion via Inducing Ubiquitylation of MET. Cells 2019, 8, 774

In the Correspondence information of the original publication [...].

Soloxolone para-methylanilide effectively suppresses aggressive phenotype of glioblastoma cells including TGF-β1-induced glial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and inhibits growth of U87 glioblastoma xenografts in mice

Soloxolone amides are semisynthetic triterpenoids that can cross the blood-brain barrier and inhibit glioblastoma growth both in vitro and in vivo. Here we investigate the impact of these compounds on processes associated with glioblastoma invasiveness and therapy resistance. Screening of soloxolone amides against glioblastoma cells revealed the ability of compound 7 (soloxolone para-methylanilide) to inhibit transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)-induced glial-mesenchymal transition Compound 7 inhibited morphological changes, wound healing, transwell migration, and expression of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, fibronectin, Slug) in TGF-β1-induced U87 and U118 glioblastoma cells, while restoring their adhesiveness. Confocal microscopy and molecular docking showed that 7 reduced SMAD2/3 nuclear translocation probably by direct interaction with the TGF-β type I and type II receptors (TβRI/II). In addition, 7 suppressed stemness of glioblastoma cells as evidenced by inhibition of colony forming ability, spheroid growth, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. Furthermore, 7 exhibited a synergistic effect with temozolomide (TMZ) on glioblastoma cell viability. Using N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and flow cytometry analysis of Annexin V-FITC-, propidium iodide-, and DCFDA-stained cells, 7 was found to synergize the cytotoxicity of TMZ by inducing ROS-dependent apoptosis. Further in vivo studies showed that 7, alone or in combination with TMZ, effectively suppressed the growth of U87 xenograft tumors in mice. Thus, 7 demonstrated promising potential as a component of combination therapy for glioblastoma, reducing its invasiveness and increasing its sensitivity to chemotherapy.

Tubeimoside I Ameliorates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Upregulating SIRT3

Cardiotoxicity linked to doxorubicin (DOX) is primarily caused by inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The role of tubeimoside I (TBM) in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remains ambiguous, despite growing evidence that it could reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in various diseases. This study was designed to investigate the role of TBM in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and uncover the underlying mechanisms. H9c2 cell line and C57BL/6 mice were used to construct an in vitro and in vivo model of DOX-induced myocardial injury, respectively. We observed that DOX treatment provoked inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which were significantly alleviated by TBM administration. Mechanistically, TBM attenuated DOX-induced downregulation of sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), and SIRT3 inhibition abrogated the beneficial effects of TBM both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, TBM eased inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by increasing the expression of SIRT3, suggesting that it holds great promise for treating DOX-induced cardiac injury.

Chinese endemic medicinal plant Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim.) Franquet: A comprehensive review

Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim.) Franquet is a unique species in China with a long history of medicinal use, which has the effects of detoxifying, dissolving lumps and dispersing swellings. And it is commonly used to treat many diseases, such as carbuncle and sore, acute mastitis, mammary cancer, scrofula and subcutaneous nodule traditionally. Modern clinical studies have found that B. paniculatum and its compounds can be used for the treatment of a variety of cancers, mastitis, hyperplasia of mammary glands, chronic lymphadenitis, cervical lymph tuberculosis and surgical wart skin diseases, and the curative effect is positive. At present, a variety of Chinese patent medicines containing B. paniculatum have been exploited and marketed in China for the treatment of cancers, breast diseases and flat warts. This review article comprehensively discussed the traditional application, botany, chemical components, pharmacological activities, and quality control of B. paniculatum, put forward some noteworthy issues and suggestions in current studies, and briefly discussed the possible development potential of this plant as well as future research perspectives. 96 compounds have been isolated from B. paniculatum, including triterpenoids, sterols, alkaloids and other components, of which triterpenoid saponins are the main bioactive components. The crude extracts and monomer compounds of B. paniculatum have a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and so on. Moreover, its anti-tumor mechanism involves many aspects, including inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting cell apoptosis, blocking the cell cycle, interfering with cell invasion and metastasis, suppressing angiogenesis, and regulating autophagy. While there is a lack of systematic and in-depth research on its anti-tumor active components and mechanism of action at the moment; and a tight connection between the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of B. paniculatum has also not been established. Besides, a systematic quality determination standard for B. paniculatum should also be built, in order to carry out further research.

Tubeimoside-1: A review of its antitumor effects, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and targeting preparations

Tubeimoside-1 (TBMS-1), a natural triterpenoid saponin found in traditional Chinese herbal medicine Bolbostemmatis Rhizoma, is present in numerous Chinese medicine preparations. This review aims to comprehensively describe the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and targeting preparations of TBMS-1, as well the therapeutic potential for cancer treatement. Information concerning TBMS-1 was systematically collected from the authoritative internet database of PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure applying a combination of keywords involving “tumor,” “pharmacokinetics,” “toxicology,” and targeting preparations. New evidence shows that TBMS-1 possesses a remarkable inhibitory effect on the tumors of the respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, genital system as well as other systems in vivo and in vitro. Pharmacokinetic studies reveal that TBMS-1 is extensively distributed in various tissues and prone to degradation by the gastrointestinal tract after oral administration, causing a decrease in bioavailability. Meanwhile, several lines of evidence have shown that TBMS-1 may cause adverse and toxic effects at high doses. The development of liver-targeting and lung-targeting preparations can reduce the toxic effect of TBMS-1 and increase its efficacy. In summary, TBMS-1 can effectively control tumor treatment. However, additional research is necessary to investigate in vivo antitumor effects and the pharmacokinetics of TBMS-1. In addition, to reduce the toxicity of TBMS-1, future research should aim to modify its structure, formulate targeting preparations or combinations with other drugs.

Tubeimoside-I sensitizes temozolomide-resistant glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy by reducing MGMT expression and suppressing EGFR induced PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB-mediated signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM, World Health Organization [WHO] grade IV) is one of the malignant Central Nerve System (CNS) tumors with high incidence rate and poor prognosis. The use of alkylating agents, such as temozolomide (TMZ), has been the main method of cytotoxic therapy for glioma patients for decades. However, TMZ resistance may be one of the major reasons for treatment failure, so far. In searching for effective agents to reverse TMZ resistance, we found that Tubeimoside-I (TBMS1), a saponin from traditional Chinese medicine, Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim.) Franquet, showed activities of reversing TMZ resistance of GBM. However, the ability of TBMS1 enhancing the chemosensitivity of GBM has been rarely studied, and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

PURPOSE

This study purposes to reveal the synergistic effects and mechanism of TBMS1 and TMZ against TMZ-resistant GBM cells.

METHODS

CCK8 assay was used to investigate the anti-proliferative effects on grade IV glioblastoma human T98G and U118 MG cells. Cell proliferation was determined by EdU assay and clonogenic assay after TMZ plus TBMS1 treatment. Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. DNA damage and DNA Double Strand Break (DSB) were assessed by cleaved Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), γH2AX Foci Assay and Comet Assay, respectively. Expression of proteins associated with apoptosis and DNA repair enzymes were measured by Western blot analysis. The prognostic significance of key proteins of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) induced PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway was analyzed using GEPIA (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn) and validated by Western blotting.

RESULTS

Here we demonstrated that TBMS1 sensitized TMZ-resistant T98G and U118 MG glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy and exhibited promotion of apoptosis and inhibition on cell viability, proliferation and clone formation. Coefficient of drug in interaction (CDI) values showed a notable synergistic effect between TBMS1 and TMZ. Moreover, we observed that combination of TBMS1 and TMZ induced apoptosis was accompanied by robust DSB, γH2AX Foci formation and increasing cleaved PARP, as well as the heightened ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, cleavages of caspase-3 and caspase-9. In addition, the synergistic anti-glioma effect between TBMS1 and TMZ was intimately related to the reduction of MGMT expression in TMZ-resistant GBM cells. Moreover, it was also associated with attenuated expression of EGFR, p-PI3K-p85, p-Akt (Ser473), p-mTOR (Ser2481) and p-NF-κB p65(Ser536), which implying deactivation of the EGFR induced PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

We first demonstrated that synergistic effects of TBMS1 and TMZ induced apoptosis in GBM cells through reducing MGMT expression and inhibiting the EGFR induced PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway. This study provides a rationale for combined application of TMZ and TBMS1 as a potential chemotherapeutic treatment for MGMT+ GBM patients.

Tubeimoside I protects against sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction via SIRT3

Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction (SICD) is one of the key complications in sepsis and it is associated with adverse outcomes and increased mortality. There is no effective drug to treat SICD. Previously, we reported that tubeimoside I (TBM) improved survival of septic mice. The aim of this study is to figure out whether TBM ameliorates SICD. Also, SIRT3 was reported to protects against SICD. Our second aim is to confirm whether SIRT3 plays essential roles in TBM's protective effects against SICD. Our results demonstrated that TBM could alleviate SICD and SICD's key pathological factor, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were all reduced by TBM. Notably, SICD induced a significant decrease in cardiac SIRT3 expression, while TBM treatment could reverse SIRT3 expression. To clarify whether TBM provides protection via SIRT3, we injected a specific SIRT3 inhibitor 3-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl) pyridine (3-TYP) into mice before TBM treatment. Then the cardioprotective effects of TBM were largely abolished by 3-TYP. This suggests that SIRT3 plays an essential role in TBM's cardioprotective effects. In vitro, TBM also protected H9c2 cells against LPS-induced injury, and siSIRT3 diminished these protective effects. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TBM protects against SICD via SIRT3. TBM might be a potential drug candidate for SICD treatment.

Tubeimoside I improves endothelial function in sepsis via activation of SIRT3

Sepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a deregulated host response to infection. Endothelial dysfunction is the initial factor leading to organ dysfunction and it is associated with increased mortality. There is no effective drug to treat sepsis-induced endothelial dysfunction. In this study, we detected a favorable effect of tubeimoside I (TBM) in ameliorating sepsis-induced endothelial dysfunction. To unveil the mechanism how TBM protects against sepsis-induced endothelial dysfunction, we examined TBM's effects on oxidative stress and apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. TBM treatment alleviated oxidative stress by decreasing NOX2 and Ac-SOD2/SOD2 and decreased apoptosis by inhibiting cleaved caspse3 and Bax/Bcl-2. Notably, sepsis induced a significant decrease of SIRT3 expression in vascular endothelium, while TBM treatment reversed SIRT3 expression. To clarify whether TBM provides protection via SIRT3, we knockdown SIRT3 using siRNA before TBM treatment. Then, the cytoprotective effects of TBM were largely abolished by siSIRT3. This suggests that SIRT3 plays an essential role in TBM's endothelial protective effects and TBM might be a potential drug candidate to treat sepsis-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Natural Compounds in Glioblastoma Therapy: Preclinical Insights, Mechanistic Pathways, and Outlook

Simple Summary

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a tumor of the brain or spinal cord with poor clinical prognosis. Current interventions, such as chemotherapy and surgical tumor resection, are constrained by tumor invasion and cancer drug resistance. Dietary natural substances are therefore evaluated for their potential as agents in GBM treatment. Various substances found in fruits, vegetables, and other natural products restrict tumor growth and induce GBM cell death. These preclinical effects are promising but remain constrained by natural substances’ varying pharmacological properties. While many of the reviewed substances are available as over-the-counter supplements, their anti-GBM efficacy should be corroborated by clinical trials moving forward.

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive, often fatal astrocyte-derived tumor of the central nervous system. Conventional medical and surgical interventions have greatly improved survival rates; however, tumor heterogeneity, invasiveness, and chemotherapeutic resistance continue to pose clinical challenges. As such, dietary natural substances—an integral component of the lifestyle medicine approach to chronic diseases—are examined as potential chemotherapeutic agents. These heterogenous substances exert anti-GBM effects by upregulating apoptosis and autophagy, inducing cell cycle arrest, interfering with tumor metabolism, and inhibiting proliferation, neuroinflammation, chemoresistance, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Although these beneficial effects are promising, natural substances’ efficacy in GBM is constrained by their bioavailability and blood–brain barrier permeability; various chemical formulations are proposed to improve their pharmacological properties. Many of the reviewed substances are available as over-the-counter dietary supplements, underscoring their viability as lifestyle interventions. However, clinical trials remain necessary to substantiate the in vitro and in vivo properties of natural substances.

Lycorine hydrochloride inhibits melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion via down-regulating p21Cip1/WAF1

Lycorine hydrochloride (LH) is an active ingredient sourced from the medicinal herb Lycoris radiata. Previous studies have suggested that LH exerts tumor suppression activity in several human cancers. However, the anti-cancer effect of LH in melanoma and the potential molecular mechanisms still need to be further studied. p21Cip1/WAF1, unlike its traditional cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor role, is believed to act as an oncogene under certain cellular conditions. In this research, an increased expression of p21Cip1/WAF1 was found in human melanoma tissues and positively related to the tumor invasion depth. High level of p21Cip1/WAF1 was found to correlate with bad outcomes of melanoma patients by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Functional experiments demonstrated that the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of A375 and MV3 melanoma cells was powerfully inhibited by LH through inducing S phase cell cycle arrest and regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In NOD/SCID mice model, LH effectively inhibited the xenograft tumor growth and lung metastasis of A375 cells. Further research revealed that LH reduced p21Cip1/WAF1 protein by accelerating its ubiquitination. Importantly, the LH-induced suppression of cell proliferation and metastasis was rescued by p21Cip1/WAF1 overexpression, both in vitro an in vivo. Taken together, LH, which suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of melanoma cells via down-regulating p21Cip1/WAF1, is expected to be developed as an effective medicine for melanoma therapy.

Tubeimoside I promotes angiogenesis via activation of eNOS-VEGF signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tubeimoside I (TBM) is a triterpenoid saponin purified from tubeimu (tuber of Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim.) Franquet). In traditional Chinese medicine, tubeimu had been used to treat acute mastitis, snake bites, detoxication, inflammatory diseases, and tumors for over 1000 years.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate whether TBM could promote angiogenesis and how to promote angiogenesis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vivo, the pro-angiogenic effects of TBM were examined using the hindlimb ischemia model. After the ischemia operation, 1 mg/kg/day TBM was given via intraperitoneal injection for 28 days and the recovery of blood flow was monitored by Doppler scanner every 7 days. The capillary density in gastrocnemius muscle was detected by immunofluorescence. Expression of related proteins were determined by western blotting. In vitro, the pro-angiogenic effects of TBM on HUVECs were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8, scratch assay, endothelial cell tube formation assay and western blotting.

RESULTS

TBM improved recovery from hindlimb ischemia in C57BL/6 mice. TBM promoted endothelial cell viability, migration and tube formation in HUVECs. TBM could activate eNOS-VEGF signaling pathway by enhancing expression of eNOS. And TBM's pro-angiogenesis effects could be abolished by L-NAME (an inhibitor of eNOS).

CONCLUSIONS

TBM promoted angiogenesis via the activation of eNOS-VEGF signaling pathway and TBM could be a novel agent for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic diseases.

Tubeimoside-1 Protects Against Renal Ischemia Reperfusion Injury In Vivo and In Vitro

Renal ischemia reperfusion injury (RIRI) is one of the main causes of acute kidney injury. This study aimed to explore whether tubeimoside-1 (TBMS1) could protect against RIRI. RIRI mice model and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced NRK-52E cells were used in this study. The renal pathology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining to calculate the tubular injury score. The levels of serum creatinine and blood urine nitrogen were analyzed by a Hitachi model 7180 automatic analyzer. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), Bax, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, total caspase-3, and total caspase-9 in renal tissues and NRK-52E cells were detected by western blot analysis. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum and NRK-52E cells were measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The renal cell apoptosis in renal tissues was analyzed by TUNEL assay, and NRK-52E cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry analysis. CCK-8 assay was used to analyze the viability of NRK-52E cells after the indicated treatment. As a result, the renal tissues that were seriously damaged in mice with RIRI could be alleviated by TBMS1. Therefore, 50 mg/kg TBMS1 was chosen for the animal experiment. Renal cell apoptosis was increased in renal tissues of mice with RIRI. These changes could be partially reversed by TBMS1 treatment. TBMS1 improved the viability, and reduced the inflammation and apoptosis of H/R-induced NRK-52E cells. In conclusion, TBMS1 ameliorates RIRI by promoting viability and suppressing apoptosis and inflammation of renal cells.

Lycorine hydrochloride inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis through promoting FBXW7-MCL1 axis in gastric cancer

Background

Lycorine hydrochloride (LH), an alkaloid extracted from the bulb of the Lycoris radiata, is considered to have anti-viral, anti-malarial, and anti-tumorous effects. At present, the underlying mechanisms of LH in gastric cancer remain unclear. MCL1, an anti-apoptotic protein of BCL2 family, is closely related to drug resistance of tumor. Therefore, MCL1 is considered as a potential target for cancer treatment.

Methods

The effect of LH on gastric cancer was assessed in vitro (by MTT, BrdU, western blotting…) and in vivo (by immunohistochemistry).

Results

In this study, we showed that LH has an anti-tumorous effect by down-regulating MCL1 in gastric cancer. Besides, we unveiled that LH reduced the protein stability of MCL1 by up-regulating ubiquitin E3 ligase FBXW7, arrested cell cycle at S phase and triggered apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. Meanwhile, we also demonstrated that LH could induce apoptosis of the BCL2-drug-resistant-cell-lines. Moreover, PDX (Patient-Derived tumor xenograft) model experiment proved that LH combined with HA14–1 (inhibitor of BCL2), had a more significant therapeutic effect on gastric cancer.

Conclusions

The efficacy showed in our data suggests that lycorine hydrochloride is a promising anti-tumor compound for gastric cancer.

WDR5-Myc axis promotes the progression of glioblastoma and neuroblastoma by transcriptional activating CARM1

The WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5), also known as SWD3 and BIG-3, is often overexpressed in cancers, however its molecular function in cancer remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that WDR5 promoted the proliferation and self-renewal of glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cells. The data from databases and Western blot assay showed that CARM1 is a downstream gene of WDR5-Myc axis. In addition, we observed that WDR5 promoted the binding of Myc to CARM1 promoter by interacting with Myc and inducing histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). Dual luciferase reporter system indicated that Myc binds to the upstream region (-520 to -515) before transcription start site (TSS) of CARM1 promoter. These findings suggest a novel regulatory model for the proliferation and tumorigenesis of glioblastoma and neuroblastoma by WDR5-Myc axis.