Rutin Mediated Apoptotic Cell Death in Caski Cervical Cancer Cells via Notch-1 and Hes-1 Downregulation

Rutin Linoleate Triggers Oxidative Stress-Mediated Cytoplasmic Vacuolation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

Lung cancer (LC) represents one of the most prevalent health issues globally and is a leading cause of tumor-related mortality. Despite being one the most attractive compounds of plant origin due to its numerous biological properties, the therapeutic applications of rutin (RUT) are limited by its disadvantageous pharmacokinetics. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate in vitro the application of two RUT fatty acids bioconjugates, rutin oleate (RUT-O) and rutin linoleate (RUT-L), as potential improved RUT-based chemotherapeutics in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. The results indicate that both compounds lacked cytotoxic potential in EpiAirway™ tissues at concentrations up to 125 µM. However, only RUT-L exerted anti-tumorigenic activity in NCI-H23 NSCLC cells after 24 h of treatment by reducing cell viability (up to 47%), proliferation, and neutral red uptake, causing cell membrane damage and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, affecting cytoskeletal distribution, inducing cytoplasmic vacuolation, and increasing oxidative stress. The cytopathic effects triggered by RUT-L at 100 and 125 µM are indicators of a non-apoptotic cell death pathway that resembles the characteristics of paraptosis. The novel findings of this study stand as a basis for further investigations on the anti-cancer properties of RUT-L and their underlying mechanisms.

The effects of HPV oncoproteins on host communication networks: Therapeutic connotations

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are a leading cause of viral-induced malignancies worldwide, with a prominent association with cervical and head and neck cancers. The pivotal role of HPV oncoproteins, E5, E6, and E7, in manipulating cellular events, which contribute to viral pathogenesis in various ways, has been extensively documented. This article reviews the influence of HPV oncoproteins on cellular signaling pathways within the host cell, shedding light on the underlying molecular mechanisms. A comprehensive understanding of these molecular alterations is essential for the development of targeted therapies and strategies to combat HPV-induced premalignancies and prevent their progress to cancer. Furthermore, this review underscores the intricate interplay between HPV oncoproteins and some of the most important cellular signaling pathways: Notch, Wnt/β-catenin, MAPK, JAK/STAT, and PI3K AKT/mTOR. The treatment efficacies of the currently available inhibitors on these pathways in an HPV-positive context are also discussed. This review also highlights the importance of continued research to advance our knowledge and enhance therapeutic interventions for HPV-associated diseases.

Flavonoids as emerging notch signaling pathway modulators in cancer

Notch signaling is an evolutionary conserved pathway important for the developmental processes and implicated in the tumor formation. Notch signaling pathway (NSP) inhibitors have been tested in clinical trials alone or in combination with the chemotherapy but none got clinical approval due to severe toxicity in patients. Flavonoids inhibit NSP by inhibiting notch receptor cleavage and/or inhibiting transcriptional regulation by Notch intracellular domain (NICD). Interestingly, some flavonoids are reported to inhibit NSP by mediating the microRNA expression. NSP inhibitory flavonoid(s) in combination with standard therapy is might be an effective strategy in cancer treatment.

Modulatory effect of pomegranate peel extract on key regulators of ovarian cellular processes in vitro

In this study, response of ovarian cells (human granulosa cell line HGL5, and human adenocarcinoma cell line OVCAR-3) to short-term pomegranate peel extract (PPE) treatment (for 24 hours in cell culture) was evaluated in vitro. Quantitative and qualitative screening of polyphenols revealed punicalagins α and β as major polyphenolic components. Total phenolic content (TPC) was 93.76 mg GAE/g d.w. with a high antioxidant activity of 95.30 mg TEAC/g d.w. In OVCAR-3, PPE treatment inhibited the metabolic activity, and increased cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDKN1A, p21) level at the highest dose, but not in HGL5. Flow cytometry analysis could not detect any significant difference between proportions of live, dead, and apoptotic cells in both cell lines. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) revealed an antioxidant effect on HGL5, and a prooxidant effect by stimulating ROS generation in OVCAR-3 cells at the higher doses of PPE. However, in contrast to HGL5, PPE treatment decreased release of growth factors - TGF-β2 and EGF at the highest dose, as well as their receptors TGFBR2 and EGFR in OVCAR-3 cells. PPE also influenced steroidogenesis in granulosa cells HGL5 by stimulating 17β-estradiol secretion at higher doses. In conclusion, the present study highlighted the bioactive compounds in pomegranate peels and the possible mechanisms of action of PPE, shedding light on its promising role in ovarian cancer (chemo)prevention and/or management.

The antitumor effect of mycelia extract of the medicinal macrofungus Inonotus hispidus on HeLa cells via the mitochondrial-mediated pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Inonotus hispidus (I. hispidus), known as shaggy bracket, has been used extensively in China and some East Asian countries as a traditional medicinal macrofungus to treat difficult diseases, such as diabetes, gout, and arthritis. Modern pharmacological research has shown that I. hispidus has an important application value in antitumor treatment. However, the main anti-cervical cancer activity substances from its mycelia and its mechanisms are still not clear.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To enrich the germplasm resources of I. hispidus, to reveal the antitumor activity of the extract from the mycelium of I. hispidus against cervical cancer, and to preliminarily analyze its action mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The SH3 strain was isolated from wild fruiting bodies and identified by morphology and molecular biology. The antitumor active component from the mycelium of I. hispidus was isolated and identified with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. The cell cycle distribution, apoptotic cell detection, and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometer. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was assessed by Western blotting. The inhibition of tumor growth in vivo was assessed by a mouse xenograft model.

RESULTS

The SH3 strain was isolated and identified as a new strain of I. hispidus. The antitumor active component containing cyclic peptides from the mycelium of I. hispidus (CCM) was isolated for the first time. In addition, we found that CCM had a strong inhibitory effect on HeLa proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, the CCM blocked the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and eventually promoted apoptosis of HeLa cells through the mitochondria-mediated pathway by upregulating the expression levels of Bax, cytochrome C, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3 and downregulating the expression level of Bcl-2.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study not only enriches the strain resources of I. hispidus but also confirms that the mycelium of this strain has active components that can inhibit cervical cancer. This is highly significant for the development of active drugs and drug lead molecules for treating cervical cancer.

Research on Predicting the Occurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Notch Signal-Related Genes Using Machine Learning Algorithms

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma, a highly malignant tumor, is difficult to diagnose, treat, and predict the prognosis. Notch signaling pathway can affect hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to predict the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma based on Notch signal-related genes using machine learning algorithms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We downloaded hepatocellular carcinoma data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases and used machine learning methods to screen the hub Notch signal-related genes. Machine learning classification was used to construct a prediction model for the classification and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cancer. Bioinformatics methods were applied to explore the expression of these hub genes in the hepatocellular carcinoma tumor immune microenvironment.

RESULTS

We identified 4 hub genes, namely, LAMA4, POLA2, RAD51, and TYMS, which were used as the final variables, and found that AdaBoostClassifie was the best algorithm for the classification and diagnosis model of hepatocellular carcinoma. The area under curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and F1 score of this model in the training set were 0.976, 0.881, 0.877, 0.977, 0.996, 0.500, and 0.932; respectively. The area under curves were 0.934, 0.863, 0.881, 0.886, 0.981, 0.489, and 0.926. The area under curve in the external validation set was 0.934. Immune cell infiltration was related to the expression of 4 hub genes. Patients in the low-risk group of hepatocellular carcinoma were more likely to have an immune escape.

CONCLUSION

The Notch signaling pathway was closely related to the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The hepatocellular carcinoma classification and diagnosis model established based on this had a high degree of reliability and stability.

Determination of Rutin's antitumoral effect on EAC solid tumor by AgNOR count and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Rutin is one of the flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is critical for the life cycle at the cellular level. In current study, we purposed to demonstrate the antitumoral effect of rutin at different doses through the mTOR-signaling pathway and argyrophilic nucleolar regulatory region. EAC cells were injected subcutaneously into the experimental groups. 25 and 50 mg/kg Rutin were injected intraperitoneally to the animals with solid tumors for 14 days. Immunohistochemical, Real-time PCR and AgNOR analyzes were actualized on the taken tumors. When the rutin given groups and the tumor group were compared, the tumor size increase was detected to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). In immunohistochemical analysis, a significant decrease was encountered in the AKT, mTOR, PI3K and F8 expressions especially in the groups administered 25 mg Rutin, in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). AgNOR area/nuclear area (TAA/NA) and average AgNOR number were determineted, and statistically important differences were detected between the groups in terms of TAA/NA ratio (p < 0.05). There were significant statistical differences between the mRNA quantity of the PI3K, AKT1 and mTOR genes (p < 0.05). In the in vitro study, cell apoptosis was evaluated with different doses of annexin V and it was determined that a dose of 10 µg/mL Rutin induced apoptosis (p < 0.05). In our study, it was demonstrated in vivo and in vitro that Rutin has an anti-tumor effect on the development of solid tumors formed by both EAC cells.

Deciphering the modulatory role of apigenin targeting oncogenic pathways in human cancers

Cancer is a complicated malignancy controlled by numerous intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. There has been a significant increase in interest in recent years in the elucidation of cancer treatments based on natural extracts that have fewer side effects. Numerous natural product-derived chemicals have been investigated for their anticancer effects in the search for an efficient chemotherapeutic method. Therefore, the rationale behind this review is to provide a detailed insights about the anticancerous potential of apigenin via modulating numerous cell signaling pathways. An ingestible plant-derived flavonoid called apigenin has been linked to numerous anticancerous potential in numerous experimental and biological studies. Apigenin has been reported to induce cell growth arrest and apoptotic induction by modulating multiple cell signaling pathways in a wider range of human tumors including those of the breast, lung, liver, skin, blood, colon, prostate, pancreatic, cervical, oral, and stomach. Oncogenic protein networks, abnormal cell signaling, and modulation of the apoptotic machinery are only a few examples of diverse molecular interactions and processes that have not yet been thoroughly addressed by scientific research. Thus, keeping this fact in mind, we tried to focus our review towards summarizing the apigenin-mediated modulation of oncogenic pathways in various malignancies that can be further utilized to develop a potent therapeutic alternative for the treatment of various cancers.

Anticancer Effect of Pomegranate Peel Polyphenols against Cervical Cancer

Polyphenols are a broad group of bioactive phytochemicals with powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiviral activities. Numerous studies have demonstrated that polyphenol extracts obtained from natural sources can be used for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Pomegranate peel extract is an excellent source of polyphenols, such as punicalagin, punicalin, ellagic acid, and caffeic acid, among others. These phenolic compounds have antineoplastic activity in in vitro models of cervical cancer through the regulation of cellular redox balance, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and modulation of different signaling pathways. The current review summarizes recent data from scientific reports that address the anticancer activity of the predominant polyphenol compounds present in PPE and their different mechanisms of action in cervical cancer models.

Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential of Bioactive Compounds from Rhinacanthus nasutus Cell Suspension Culture

The potential benefits of natural plant extracts have received attention in recent years, encouraging the development of natural products that effectively treat various diseases. This is the first report on establishing callus and cell suspension cultures of Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) Kurz. A yellow friable callus was successfully induced from in vitro leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 1 mg/L 1-naphthalene acetic acid. A selected friable callus line was used to establish the cell suspension culture with the same medium. The antioxidant assays showed that the leaf- and ethanolic-suspension-cultured cell (SCC) extracts exhibited high antioxidant potential. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity revealed by the MTT assay demonstrated potent antiproliferative effects against the oral cancer cell lines ORL-48 and ORL-136 in a dose-dependent manner. Several groups of compounds, including terpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, quinones, and stilbenes, were identified by UHPLC–QToF–MS, with the same compounds detected in leaf and SCC extracts, including austroinulin, lucidenic acid, esculetin, embelin, and quercetin 3-(2″-p-hydroxybenzoyl-4″-p-coumarylrhamnoside). The present study suggests the value of further investigations for phytochemical production using R. nasutus cell suspension culture.

Antitumor and Immunomodulatory Properties of the Bulgarian Endemic Plant Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neič. (Lamiaceae)

Background: Extracts obtained from different Betonica species have been shown to possess important biological properties. The present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity, antitumor and immunomodulatory potential of the endemic plant Betonica bulgarica (Lamiaceae) and thus, reveal new aspects of its biological activity. Methods: Methanolic extract obtained from inflorescences was analyzed for cytotoxicity against mammalian cell lines. The antitumor potential of the sample was determined using human cervical and lung adenocarcinoma cells (HeLa and A549). Programmed cell death-inducing effects against HeLa cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes, as well as immunomodulatory properties of the extract were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Results: The research results demonstrated that the extract has significant inhibitory potential against HeLa cells (mean IC50 value 119.2 μg/mL). The sample selectively induced apoptotic death in tumor cells. Cytotoxic effects towards mouse cell lines were detected following treatment with high concentrations of Betonica bulgarica extract (200 and 250 μg/mL). Twenty-four-hour ex vivo incubation of peripheral blood leucocytes in growth medium containing plant extract induced prominent effects in distinct immune cell populations. They included elevated levels of CD25+ and CD56+ T cells’ lymphocytes, particularly CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD56+ cells. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that Betonica bulgarica inflorescence extract possesses potential beneficial antitumor and immunomodulatory activity and could serve as a source of bioactive compounds with biomedical application.

Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. exhibits cytotoxicity in A-549 and HeLa cells by inducing apoptosis through caspase-dependent pathways

The aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of the leaf, stem and rhizome of Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. for their phytochemical content, antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. The different parts of C. aeruginosa were subjected to sequential extraction to give three fractions viz., hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extract. The cytotoxic effect and the mode of action against A-549 human lung adenocarcinoma and HeLa cell lines were examined. C. aeruginosa presented no significant toxic effect in normal human lung cells (L-132). The methanol extracts were found to be the most cytotoxic and further investigation was carried out to understand the effects. The methanol extracts induced DNA damage after 24 h with significant increase in tail DNA and tail moment when compared to untreated control. Up-regulation in the expression of the caspase - 8 and - 3 activity was observed after 48 h of treatment. The mechanism of cell death and apoptosis induced by the methanol extracts on A549 and HeLa cells were studied using fluorescent staining. Bioactive compounds detected from the HPLC revealed phenol and flavonoid compounds: Gallic acid, quercetin, caffeic acid, kaempferol, rutin, coumaric acid and naringenin. GC-MS results identified the presence of sesquiterpenoids: α-curcumene, curzerene curcumenol, curzerenone epicurzerenone, caryophyllene oxide and diterpenoid, andrographolide. These compounds are known for inducing apoptosis in human cancer cells through caspase - dependent pathways. Therefore, C. aeruginosa and its potential to induce apoptosis in cancer cells suggest that they have potential in medical applications.