β-catenin knockdown enhances the effects of fluorouracil in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468

The Combination of Zerumbone and 5-FU: A Significant Therapeutic Strategy in Sensitizing Colorectal Cancer Cells to Treatment

Objectives. Chemotherapy is considered to be essential in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), but drug resistance reduces its efficacy. Many patients with advanced CRC eventually show resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) therapy. Synergistic and potentiating effects of combination therapy, using herbal and chemical drugs, can improve patients’ response. Zerumbone (ZER), which is derived from ginger, has been studied for its growth inhibitory function in various types of cancer. Methods. The cytotoxic effects of ZER and 5-FU alone and their combination, on the SW48 and HCT-116 cells, were examined, using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The mRNA and protein levels of β-catenin, survivin, and vimentin were measured in treated CRC cells, using qRT-PCR and western blot. Colony formation assay, scratch test, and flow cytometry were performed to detect the changes of proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Key Findings. In HCT-116- and SW48-treated cells, the proliferation, the gene and protein expression levels of the markers, the migration, the colony formation, and the survival rates were all significantly reduced compared to the control groups, and the sharpest decline was observed in the 5-FU+ZER treatment groups. Conclusions. Combination therapy has shown promising results in CRC cells, especially in drug-resistant cells.

Selective GPR55 antagonism reduces chemoresistance in cancer cells

G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) possesses pro-oncogenic activity and its function can be competitively inhibited with (R,R')-4'-methoxy-1-naphthylfenoterol (MNF) through poorly defined signaling pathways. Here, the anti-tumorigenic effect of MNF was investigated in the human pancreatic cancer cell line, PANC-1, by focusing on the expression of known cancer biomarkers and the expression and function of multidrug resistance (MDR) exporters such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). Incubation of PANC1 cells with MNF (1μM) for 24h significantly decreased EGF receptor, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and β-catenin protein levels and was accompanied by significant reduction in nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α and the phospho-active forms of PKM2 and β-catenin. Inhibition of GPR55 with either MNF or the GPR55 antagonist CID 16020046 lowered the amount of MDR proteins in total cellular extracts while diminishing the nuclear expression of Pgp and BCRP. There was significant nuclear accumulation of doxorubicin in PANC-1 cells treated with MNF and the pre-incubation with MNF increased the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and gemcitabine in these cells. Potentiation of doxorubicin cytotoxicity by MNF was also observed in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and U87MG glioblastoma cells, which express high levels of GPR55. The data suggest that inhibition of GPR55 activity produces antitumor effects via attenuation of the MEK/ERK and PI3K-AKT pathways leading to a reduction in the expression and function of MDR proteins.

Effects of targeted nano-delivery systems combined with hTERT-siRNA and Bmi-1-siRNA on MCF-7 cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a targeted siRNA nano-delivery system to silence the expression of Bmi-1 and hTERT, and to verify the toxicity of this delivery system in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The most effective Bmi-1 siRNA and hTERT siRNA sequences were selected using RT-PCR and Western blotting. The polyethyleneimine (PEI)/siRNA nano-condensate was synthesized using PEI and modified using an NGR peptide fragment for targeting to tumor cells. The vector morphology, particle size and zeta potential were observed using an atomic force microscope and a laser particle size analyzer. The MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was transfected with the vector, and cytotoxicity was tested by MTT assays. The transfection efficiency was evaluated by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Changes in gene expression and apoptosis rate were measured by flow cytometry. The size of LPN carrier and the condensate particle was between 100 and 200 nm and the potentials were close to neutral. There was maximum transfection efficiency and no significant increase in toxicity at 15 pmol/L. Bmi-1 and hTERT expression decreased, but the inhibition rate increased in the hTERT siRNA group, the hTERT+Bmi-1 siRNA group and the hTERT+Bmi-1 siRNA group compared with the scrambled siRNA group and the control group. Moreover, the hTERT+Bmi-1 siRNA group had the highest level of gene silencing. The complex, composed of Lipo, PEI and siRNA, is low toxicity and efficient transfection vectors. The expression level of Bmi-1 and hTERT was decreased by the gene silencing of either Bmi-1 or hTERT, but the effects were more significant when both were silenced simultaneously.