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YILMAZ SEHER, DOĞANYIĞIT ZÜLEYHA, OCAK MERT, SÖYLEMEZ EVRIMSUNAARIKAN, OFLAMAZ ASLIOKAN, UÇAR SÜMEYYE, ATEŞ ŞÜKRÜ, FAROOQI AMMADAHMAD. Inhibition of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma growth by melatonin: Studies with micro-CT. Oncol Res 2023; 32:175-185. [PMID: 38188676 PMCID: PMC10767232 DOI: 10.32604/or.2023.042350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is a versatile indolamine synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland in response to the photoperiodic information received by the retinohypothalamic signaling pathway. Melatonin has many benefits, such as organizing circadian rhythms and acting as a powerful hormone. We aimed to show the antitumor effects of melatonin in both in vivo and in vitro models through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and the Argyrophilic Nucleolar Regulatory Region (AgNOR), using the Microcomputed Tomography (Micro CT). Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells were administered into the mice by subcutaneous injection. Animals with solid tumors were injected intraperitoneally with 50 and 100 mg/kg melatonin for 14 days. Volumetric measurements for the taken tumors were made with micro-CT imaging, immunohistochemistry (IHC), real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and AgNOR. Statistically, the tumor tissue volume in the Tumor+100 mg/kg melatonin group was significantly lower than that in the other groups in the data obtained from micro-CT images. In the IHC analysis, the groups treated with Tumor+100 mg/kg melatonin were compared when the mTOR signaling pathway and factor 8 (F8) expression were compared with the control group. It was determined that there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05). Significant differences were found in the total AgNOR area/nuclear area (TAA/NA) ratio in the treatment groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there were significant differences between the amount of mTOR mRNA for the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase (PKB/AKT) genes (p < 0.05). Cell apoptosis was evaluated with Annexin V in an in vitro study with different doses of melatonin; It was observed that 100 µg/mL melatonin dose caused an increase in the apoptotic cell death. In this study, we have reported anti-tumor effects of melatonin in cell culture studies as well as in mice models. Comprehensive characterization of the melatonin-mediated cancer inhibitory effects will be valuable in advancing our fundamental molecular understanding and translatability of pre-clinical findings to earlier phases of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- SEHER YILMAZ
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - ZÜLEYHA DOĞANYIĞIT
- Department of Histology and Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey
| | - MERT OCAK
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - EVRIM SUNA ARIKAN SÖYLEMEZ
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyon, Turkey
| | - ASLI OKAN OFLAMAZ
- Department of Histology and Embriology, Faculty of Medicine, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey
| | - SÜMEYYE UÇAR
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - ŞÜKRÜ ATEŞ
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey
| | - AMMAD AHMAD FAROOQI
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), Islamabad, Pakistan
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Spirina LV, Avgustinovich AV, Bakina OV, Afanas’ev SG, Volkov MY, Kebekbayeva AY. LC3B, mTOR, AMPK Are Molecular Targets for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancers. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:2772-2782. [PMID: 35877414 PMCID: PMC9315670 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44070190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy plays a dual role in oncogenesis processes. On one hand, autophagy enhances the cell resistance to oncogenic factors, and on the other hand, it participates in the tumor progression. The aim of the study was to find the associations between the effectiveness of the FLOT regimen in resectable gastric cancers (GCs) with the key autophagy-related proteins. Materials and Methods: The study included 34 patients with morphologically verified gastric cancer. All patients had FLOT neoadjunvant chemotherapy (NACT) (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) followed by gastrectomy. The studied tissue material was the non-transformed and tumor tissues obtained during diagnostic video gastroscopy in patients before the start of the combined treatment and after surgical treatment, frozen after collection. The LC3B, mTOR, and AMPK expression was determined by real-time PCR. The content of the LC3B protein was determined by Western blotting analysis. Results: The mRNA level and the content of the LC3B protein were associated with the tumor stage and the presence of signet ring cells. The AMPK mRNA level was increased in patients with the T4N0-2M0 stage by 37.7 and 7.33 times, which was consequently compared with patients with the T2N0M0 and T3N0-1M0 stages. The opposite changes in the mTOR and AMPK in the GCs before anti-cancer therapy were noted. The tumor size and regional lymph node affections were associated with a decrease in the mTOR mRNA level. A decrease in the mTOR expression was accompanied by an increase in the AMPK expression in the GCs. The mTOR expression was reduced in patients with a cancer spreading; in contrast, AMPK grew with the tumor size. There was an increase in the LC3B expression, which can probably determine the response to therapy. An increase in LC3B mRNA before the start of treatment and the protein content in cancers after NACT with a decrease in therapy effectiveness was recorded. There was an increase in the protein level in patients with partial regression and stabilization by 3.65 and 5.78 times, respectively, when compared with patients with complete tumor regression was noted. Conclusions: The anticancer effectiveness in GCS is down to the LC3B, mTOR, and AMPK expression. These were found to be entire molecular targets affecting the cancer progression and metastasis as well as the NACT effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudmila V. Spirina
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Siberian State Medical University, 2, Moskovsky Trakt, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (O.V.B.); (A.Y.K.)
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, 5 Kooperativny Street, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.V.A.); (S.G.A.); (M.Y.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Alexandra V. Avgustinovich
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, 5 Kooperativny Street, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.V.A.); (S.G.A.); (M.Y.V.)
| | - Olga V. Bakina
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Siberian State Medical University, 2, Moskovsky Trakt, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (O.V.B.); (A.Y.K.)
- Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2/4, pr. Akademicheskii, Tomsk 634055, Russia
| | - Sergey G. Afanas’ev
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, 5 Kooperativny Street, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.V.A.); (S.G.A.); (M.Y.V.)
| | - Maxim Yu. Volkov
- Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, 5 Kooperativny Street, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.V.A.); (S.G.A.); (M.Y.V.)
| | - Amina Y. Kebekbayeva
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Siberian State Medical University, 2, Moskovsky Trakt, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (O.V.B.); (A.Y.K.)
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Chang M, Zhu D, Chen Y, Zhang W, Liu X, Li XL, Cheng Z, Su Z, Zhang J, Lu Y, Guo H. Total Flavonoids of Litchi Seed Attenuate Prostate Cancer Progression Via Inhibiting AKT/mTOR and NF-kB Signaling Pathways. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:758219. [PMID: 34630125 PMCID: PMC8495171 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.758219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Litchi seeds have been traditionally used in Chinese herbal formula for urologic neoplasms including prostate cancer (PCa). However, the effective components of Litchi seeds and the mechanisms of their actions on PCa cell growth and metastasis remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of the Total Flavonoid of Litchi Seed (TFLS) in PCa PC3 and DU145 cell lines. We found that TFLS significantly inhibited the PCa cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and prevented cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, we observed that TFLS upregulated the expression of epithelial biomarker E-cadherin and downregulated mesenchymal biomarker Vimentin. TFLS also increased the expression of cleaved-PRAP and Bax, and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 in both PC3 and DU145 cells. Besides, TFLS inhibited AKT signaling pathway by reducing the phosphorylation of AKT and activities of downstream signal transducers including mTOR, IκBα and NF-kB. Finally, TFLS treated mice exhibited a significant decrease in tumor size without toxicity in major organs in vivo. These results indicated that TFLS could suppress PCa cell growth in vivo and inhibit PCa cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro through induction of apoptosis and phenotypic reversal of EMT, which may be achieved by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR and NF-κB signaling pathways. Taken together, our data provide new insights into the role of TFLS as a novel potent anti-cancer agent for the treatment of PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Chang
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Center for Translational Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan Zhu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yanjiang Chen
- Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Weiquan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Center for Translational Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xi Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiao-Lan Li
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Center for Translational Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiping Cheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiheng Su
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Center for Translational Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Center for Translational Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongwei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Center for Translational Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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Spirina LV, Avgustinovich AV, Afanas'ev SG, Cheremisina OV, Volkov MY, Choynzonov EL, Gorbunov AK, Usynin EA. Molecular Mechanism of Resistance to Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancers, the Role of Autophagy. Curr Drug Targets 2021; 21:713-721. [PMID: 31775598 DOI: 10.2174/1389450120666191127113854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is biologically and genetically heterogeneous with complex carcinogenesis at the molecular level. Despite the application of multiple approaches in the GC treatment, its 5-year survival is poor. A major limitation of anti-cancer drugs application is intrinsic or acquired resistance, especially to chemotherapeutical agents. It is known that the effectiveness of chemotherapy remains debatable and varies according to the molecular type of GC. Chemotherapy has an established role in the management of GC. Perioperative chemotherapy or postoperative chemotherapy is applied for localized ones. Most of the advanced GC patients have a poor response to treatment and unfavorable outcomes with standard therapies. Resistance substantially limits the depth and duration of clinical responses to targeted anticancer therapies. Through the use of complementary experimental approaches, investigators have revealed that cancer cells can achieve resistance through adaptation or selection driven by specific genetic, epigenetic, or microenvironmental alterations. Ultimately, these diverse alterations often lead to the activation of MAPK, AKT/mTOR, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways that, when co-opted, enable cancer cells to survive drug treatments. We have summarized the mechanisms of resistance development to cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and multidrug resistance in the GC management. The complexity of molecular targets and components of signaling cascades altered in the resistance development results in the absence of significant benefits in GC treatment, and its efficacy remains low. The universal process responsible for the failure in the multimodal approach in GC treatment is autophagy. Its dual role in oncogenesis is the most unexplored issue. We have discussed the possible mechanism of autophagy regulation upon the action of endogenous factors and drugs. The experimental data obtained in the cultured GC cells need further verification. To overcome the cancer resistance and to prevent autophagy as the main reason of ineffective treatment, it is suggested the concept of the direct influence of autophagy molecular markers followed by the standard chemotherapy. Dozen of studies have focused on finding the rationale for the benefits of such complex therapy. The perspectives in the molecular-based management of GC are associated with the development of molecular markers predicting the protective autophagy initiation and search for novel targets of effective anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudmila V Spirina
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation.,Siberian State Medical University, 2, Moskovsky trakt, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Alexandra V Avgustinovich
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey G Afanas'ev
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Olga V Cheremisina
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Maxim Yu Volkov
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeny L Choynzonov
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation.,Siberian State Medical University, 2, Moskovsky trakt, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey K Gorbunov
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeny A Usynin
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Koopertivny street, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation.,Siberian State Medical University, 2, Moskovsky trakt, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation
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Molecular Protein and Expression Profile in the Primary Tumors of Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma and Metastases. Cells 2020; 9:cells9071680. [PMID: 32668608 PMCID: PMC7408457 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis involves the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to surrounding tissues and distant organs and is the primary cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was the determination of change in molecular factors expression in primary kidney cancers (ccRCC) and metastatic sites. In total, 62 patients with RCC were enrolled in the study. The mRNA levels of molecular markers were studied by real-time PCR, and the content of the studied parameters was determined by Western blotting and ELISA. The features in the intracellular signal metabolites in the series of normal renal parenchyma, tumor tissue of localized, disseminated kidney cancer and metastatic tissue were studied. A decrease in some indicators in the tissue of the metastatic lesion was noted. Protein products of transcription factors HIF-1, CAIX, PTEN and activated AKT kinase, as well as expression of the VEGFR2 receptor and m-TOR protein kinase were revealed to be reduced in the metastatic sites. In addition, some indicators increased in metastasis: the protein levels of NF-κB p 50, NF-κB p 65, HIF-2, VEGF, VEGFR2, m-TOR and mRNA of HIF-1, CAIX, PTEN and PDK. There were indicators with multidirectional changes. HIF-1, CAIX, PTEN, VEGFR2 and m-TOR mRNA: VEGFR2, m-TOR, HIF-1, CAIX, PTEN and PDK had an opposite change in protein content and mRNA level. PTEN loss resulted in the downstream activation of AKT/mTOR signaling in secondary cancer lesions and determined the overall ccRCC patient's survival. The AKT/mTOR signaling cascade activation was found in the primary kidney tumors. The PTEN content and mRNA level were correlated with total AKT, GSK-3β, the 70S 6 kinases and AKT expression.
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