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Sajeev A, Sailo B, Unnikrishnan J, Talukdar A, Alqahtani MS, Abbas M, Alqahtani A, Sethi G, Kunnumakkara AB. Unlocking the potential of Berberine: Advancing cancer therapy through chemosensitization and combination treatments. Cancer Lett 2024; 597:217019. [PMID: 38849013 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite considerable progress in cancer treatment options, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs remains a significant challenge. This review focuses on Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid found in various medicinal plants, which has garnered attention in the field of oncology for its anticancer potential either alone or in combination with other compounds and its ability to modulate chemoresistance, acting as a natural chemosensitizer. BBR's ability to modulate chemoresistance is attributed to its diverse mechanisms of action, including inducing DNA breaks, inhibition of drug efflux pumps, modulation of apoptosis and necroptosis, downregulating multidrug resistance genes, enhancing immune response, suppressing angiogenesis and targeting multiple pathways within cancer cells, including protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (Akt/mTOR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1), janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT), Wnt/β-catenin etc. Moreover, BBR, in combination with other compounds, also offers a promising approach to cancer therapy, enforcing its broad-spectrum anticancer effects. Therefore, this review aims to elucidate the intricate mechanism of action of BBR in combinatorial therapy as a potential chemosensitizer to increase the efficiency of several drugs, including cisplatin, doxorubicin, lapatinib, tamoxifen, irinotecan, niraparib, etc. in various cancers. Additionally, this review briefly covers the origin and biological activities of BBR, exploring the specific actions underlying its anticancer effects. Further, pharmacokinetic properties of BBR are also discussed, providing insight into its therapeutic potential and optimization of its use in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjana Sajeev
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Bethsebie Sailo
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Jyothsna Unnikrishnan
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Ayesha Talukdar
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Mohammed S Alqahtani
- Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia; BioImaging Unit, Space Research Centre, Michael Atiyah Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Mohamed Abbas
- Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Athba Alqahtani
- Research Centre, King Fahad Medical City. P.O. Box: 59046, Riyadh, 11525, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, 117600, Singapore; NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
| | - Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara
- Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India.
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Luo Y, Zhang G, Hu C, Huang L, Wang D, Chen Z, Wang Y. The Role of Natural Products from Herbal Medicine in TLR4 Signaling for Colorectal Cancer Treatment. Molecules 2024; 29:2727. [PMID: 38930793 PMCID: PMC11206024 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway constitutes an intricate network of protein interactions primarily involved in inflammation and cancer. This pathway triggers intracellular signaling cascades, modulating transcription factors that regulate gene expression related to immunity and malignancy. Previous studies showed that colon cancer patients with low TLR4 expression exhibit extended survival times and the TLR4 signaling pathway holds a significant role in CRC pathogenesis. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have garnered substantial attention as an alternative therapeutic modality for CRC, primarily due to their multifaceted composition and ability to target multiple pathways. Emerging evidence indicates that specific TCM products, such as andrographolide, rosmarinic acid, baicalin, etc., have the potential to impede CRC development through the TLR4 signaling pathway. Here, we review the role and biochemical processes of the TLR4 signaling pathway in CRC, and natural products from TCMs affecting the TLR4 pathway. This review sheds light on potential treatment strategies utilizing natural TLR4 inhibitors for CRC, which contributes to the advancement of research and accelerates their clinical integration into CRC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Luo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China; (Y.L.); (G.Z.); (L.H.); (D.W.)
| | - Guochen Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China; (Y.L.); (G.Z.); (L.H.); (D.W.)
| | - Chao Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China;
| | - Lijun Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China; (Y.L.); (G.Z.); (L.H.); (D.W.)
| | - Dong Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China; (Y.L.); (G.Z.); (L.H.); (D.W.)
| | - Zhejie Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yumei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China; (Y.L.); (G.Z.); (L.H.); (D.W.)
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3
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Feng Y, Lu J, Jiang J, Wang M, Guo K, Lin S. Berberine: Potential preventive and therapeutic strategies for human colorectal cancer. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e4033. [PMID: 38742849 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.4033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common digestive tract tumor, with incidences continuing to rise. Although modern medicine has extended the survival time of CRC patients, its adverse effects and the financial burden cannot be ignored. CRC is a multi-step process and can be caused by the disturbance of gut microbiome and chronic inflammation's stimulation. Additionally, the presence of precancerous lesions is also a risk factor for CRC. Consequently, scientists are increasingly interested in identifying multi-target, safe, and economical herbal medicine and natural products. This paper summarizes berberine's (BBR) regulatory mechanisms in the occurrence and development of CRC. The findings indicate that BBR regulates gut microbiome homeostasis and controls mucosal inflammation to prevent CRC. In the CRC stage, BBR inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, blocks the cell cycle, induces cell apoptosis, regulates cell metabolism, inhibits angiogenesis, and enhances chemosensitivity. BBR plays a role in the overall management of CRC. Therefore, using BBR as an adjunct to CRC prevention and treatment could become a future trend in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Feng
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiamin Lu
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing Jiang
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Menglei Wang
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kaibo Guo
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shengyou Lin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Davoodvandi A, Sadeghi S, Alavi SMA, Alavi SS, Jafari A, Khan H, Aschner M, Mirzaei H, Sharifi M, Asemi Z. The therapeutic effects of berberine for gastrointestinal cancers. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 2024; 20:152-167. [PMID: 36915942 DOI: 10.1111/ajco.13941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most serious human health issues. Drug therapy is the major common way to treat cancer. There is a growing interest in using natural compounds to overcome drug resistance, adverse reactions, and target specificity of certain types of drugs that may affect several targets with fewer side effects and be beneficial against various types of cancer. In this regard, the use of herbal medicines alone or in combination with the main anticancer drugs is commonly available. Berberine (BBR), a nature-driven phytochemical component, is a well-known nutraceutical due to its wide variety of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and hypolipidemic. In addition, BBR exerts anticancer activities. In present article, we summarized the information available on the therapeutic effects of BBR and its mechanisms on five types of the most prevalent gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal, gastric, colorectal, hepatocarcinoma, and pancreatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Davoodvandi
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahand Sadeghi
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Seyedeh Shaghayegh Alavi
- Departmemt of Food Science, Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Ameneh Jafari
- ATMP Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haroon Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mehran Sharifi
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Cancer Prevention Research Center, Seyyed Al-Shohada Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zatollah Asemi
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
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Rong Z, Zheng K, Chen J, Jin X. The cross talk of ubiquitination and chemotherapy tolerance in colorectal cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:154. [PMID: 38521878 PMCID: PMC10960765 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05659-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Ubiquitination, a highly adaptable post-translational modification, plays a pivotal role in maintaining cellular protein homeostasis, encompassing cancer chemoresistance-associated proteins. Recent findings have indicated a potential correlation between perturbations in the ubiquitination process and the emergence of drug resistance in CRC cancer. Consequently, numerous studies have spurred the advancement of compounds specifically designed to target ubiquitinates, offering promising prospects for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight the role of ubiquitination enzymes associated with chemoresistance to chemotherapy via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cell cycle perturbation. In addition, we summarize the application and role of small compounds that target ubiquitination enzymes for CRC treatment, along with the significance of targeting ubiquitination enzymes as potential cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Rong
- Department of Chemoradiotherapy, the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, China.
| | - Kaifeng Zheng
- Department of Chemoradiotherapy, the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Chemoradiotherapy, the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, China.
| | - Xiaofeng Jin
- Department of Chemoradiotherapy, the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, China.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Health Science Center, Ningbo, 315211, China.
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Maurya P, Rawat RS, Gupta S, Krishna S, Siddiqi MI, Sashidhara KV, Banerjee D. Synergy between human DNA ligase I and topoisomerase 1 unveils new therapeutic strategy for the management of colorectal cancer. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38179981 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2297817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
DNA topoisomerase 1 (Topo 1) is a pivotal player in various DNA processes, including replication, repair, and transcription. It serves as a target for anticancer drugs like camptothecin and its derivatives (Topotecan and SN-38/Irinotecan). However, the emergence of drug resistance and the associated adverse effects, such as alopecia, anemia, dyspnea, fever, chills, and painful or difficult urination, pose significant challenges in Topo 1-targeted therapy, necessitating urgent attention. Human DNA Ligase 1 (hLig I), recognized primarily for its role in DNA replication and repair of DNA breaks, intriguingly exhibits a DNA relaxation activity akin to Topo 1. This raised the hypothesis that hLig I might compensate for Topo 1 inhibition, contributing to resistance against Topo 1 inhibitors. To explore this hypothesis, we assessed the efficacy of hLig I inhibition alone and in combination with Topo 1 in cancer cells. As anticipated, the overexpression of hLig I was observed after Topo 1 inhibition in colorectal cancer cells, affirming our hypothesis. Previously identified as an inhibitor of hLig I's DNA relaxation activity, compound 27 (C 27), when combined with Topotecan, demonstrated a synergistic antiproliferative effect on colorectal cancer cells. Notably, cells with downregulated hLig I (via siRNA, inhibitors, or genetic manipulation) exhibited significantly heightened sensitivity to Topotecan. This observation strongly supports the concept that hLig I contribute to resistance against clinically relevant Topo 1 inhibitors in colorectal cancers. In conclusion, our findings offer evidence for the synergistic impact of combining hLig I inhibitors with Topotecan in the treatment of colorectal cancers, providing a promising strategy to overcome resistance to Topo 1 inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Maurya
- Cancer Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rohit Singh Rawat
- Cancer Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Sampa Gupta
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Medicinal and Process Chemistry Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Shagun Krishna
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Mohammad Imran Siddiqi
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
| | - Koneni V Sashidhara
- Medicinal and Process Chemistry Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
| | - Dibyendu Banerjee
- Cancer Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
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Fatemi N, Karimpour M, Bahrami H, Zali MR, Chaleshi V, Riccio A, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E, Totonchi M. Current trends and future prospects of drug repositioning in gastrointestinal oncology. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1329244. [PMID: 38239190 PMCID: PMC10794567 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1329244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers comprise a significant number of cancer cases worldwide and contribute to a high percentage of cancer-related deaths. To improve survival rates of GI cancer patients, it is important to find and implement more effective therapeutic strategies with better prognoses and fewer side effects. The development of new drugs can be a lengthy and expensive process, often involving clinical trials that may fail in the early stages. One strategy to address these challenges is drug repurposing (DR). Drug repurposing is a developmental strategy that involves using existing drugs approved for other diseases and leveraging their safety and pharmacological data to explore their potential use in treating different diseases. In this paper, we outline the existing therapeutic strategies and challenges associated with GI cancers and explore DR as a promising alternative approach. We have presented an extensive review of different DR methodologies, research efforts and examples of repurposed drugs within various GI cancer types, such as colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancers. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of employing the DR approach in GI cancers to inform future research endeavors and clinical trials in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayeralsadat Fatemi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Karimpour
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hoda Bahrami
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Chaleshi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrea Riccio
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics (IGB) “Adriano Buzzati-Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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Coppinger C, Pomales B, Movahed MR, Marefat M, Hashemzadeh M. Berberine: A Multi-Target Natural PCSK9 Inhibitor with the Potential to Treat Diabetes, Alzheimer's, Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease. Curr Rev Clin Exp Pharmacol 2024; 19:312-326. [PMID: 38361373 DOI: 10.2174/0127724328250471231222094648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Berberine is a natural product with a wide range of pharmacological effects. It has antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic, neuroprotective, and cholesterollowering properties, among others. It has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for 3000 years and is generally well-tolerated with few side effects. Its main drawback is low oral bioavailability, which has hindered widespread clinical use. However, recent interest has surged with the emergence of evidence that berberine is effective in treating cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular disease via multiple mechanisms. It enhances insulin sensitivity and secretion by pancreatic β-cells in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in addition to reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1β, TLR4 and TNF-α. These cytokines are elevated in Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are associated with positive outcomes such as improved cognition, reduced cardiovascular events, and improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Berberine is a natural PCSK9 inhibitor, which contributes to its hypolipidemic effects. It also increases low-density lipoprotein receptor expression, reduces intestinal cholesterol absorption, and promotes cholesterol excretion from the liver to the bile. This translates into a notable decrease in LDL cholesterol levels. High LDL cholesterol levels are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Novel synthetic berberine derivatives are currently being developed that optimize LDL reduction, bioavailability, and other pharmacokinetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Coppinger
- Department of Chemistry, Pima College, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Briana Pomales
- Department of Chemistry, Pima College, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Mohammad Reza Movahed
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, USA
| | | | - Mehrnoosh Hashemzadeh
- Department of Chemistry, Pima College, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, USA
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Pan X, Song Z, Cui Y, Qi M, Wu G, Wang M. Enhancement of Sensitivity to Tamoxifen by Berberine in Breast Cancer Cells by Inhibiting ER-α36 Expression. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2022; 21:e126919. [PMID: 36060924 PMCID: PMC9420211 DOI: 10.5812/ijpr-126919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid purified from Chinese herbs, was verified to have antitumor effects. It has also been reported that berberine can enhance the anticancer effect of tamoxifen (TAM) in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells; however, the involved underlying mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, the role of one variant of ER-α, ER-α36, in the TAM sensitizing effect of berberine was explored in TAM-resistant breast cancer cells. This study demonstrated that berberine potently sensitized TAM-resistant breast cancer cells, including TAM-resistant MCF7 and BT-474 cells, to TAM treatment. Additionally, this study showed that berberine could simultaneously suppress ER-α36 expression in TAM-resistant cells. However, when ER-α36 was knocked down in TAM-resistant cells, there was no significant TAM-sensitizing effect by berberine. Therefore, this study indicated that ER-α36 is involved in berberine's TAM-sensitizing effect on ER-positive breast cancer cells, which provided supporting data for the application of berberine in cancer therapy as an adjuvant agent for TAM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Pan
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Yue Cui
- University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, Shandong, China
| | - Ming Qi
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Guojun Wu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Molin Wang
- Department of Genetics and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
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10
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Okuno K, Xu C, Pascual-Sabater S, Tokunaga M, Han H, Fillat C, Kinugasa Y, Goel A. Berberine Overcomes Gemcitabine-Associated Chemoresistance through Regulation of Rap1/PI3K-Akt Signaling in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1199. [PMID: 36297310 PMCID: PMC9611392 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine (Gem)-based chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatments for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its clinical effect is limited due to development of chemoresistance. Various naturally occurring compounds, including Berberine (BBR), provide an anti-cancer efficacy with time-tested safety, individually and in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. Accordingly, we hypothesized that BBR might enhance the chemosensitivity to Gem in PDAC. In this study, cell culture studies using MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells, followed by analysis in patient-derived organoids were performed to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of BBR in PDAC. Considering that cancer is a significant manifestation of increased chronic inflammatory stress, systems biology approaches are prudent for the identification of molecular pathways and networks responsible for phytochemical-induced anti-cancer activity, we used these approaches for BBR-mediated chemosensitization to Gem. Firstly, Gem-resistant (Gem-R) PDAC cells were established, and the combination of BBR and Gem revealed superior anti-cancer efficacy in Gem-R cells. Furthermore, the combination treatment induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in Gem-R PDAC cells. Transcriptomic profiling investigated the Rap1 and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway as a key regulator of Gem-resistance and was a key mediator for BBR-mediated chemosensitization in PDAC cells. All cell culture-based findings were successfully validated in patient-derived organoids. In conclusion, we demonstrate that BBR-mediated reversal of chemoresistance to Gem manifests through Rap1/PI3K-Akt signaling in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Okuno
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Biomedical Research Center, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Caiming Xu
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Biomedical Research Center, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116004, China
| | - Silvia Pascual-Sabater
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Masanori Tokunaga
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Haiyong Han
- Molecular Medicine Division, The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Cristina Fillat
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yusuke Kinugasa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Ajay Goel
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Biomedical Research Center, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Berberine: An Important Emphasis on Its Anticancer Effects through Modulation of Various Cell Signaling Pathways. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27185889. [PMID: 36144625 PMCID: PMC9505063 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of disease and a major cause of death worldwide. Despite advancement in various treatment modules, there has been little improvement in survival rates and side effects associated with this disease. Medicinal plants or their bioactive compounds have been extensively studied for their anticancer potential. Novel drugs based on natural products are urgently needed to manage cancer through attenuation of different cell signaling pathways. In this regard, berberine is a bioactive alkaloid that is found in variety of plants, and an inverse association has been revealed between its consumption and cancer. Berberine exhibits an anticancer role through scavenging free radicals, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of angiogenesis, inflammation, PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Wnt/β-catenin, and the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. In addition, synergistic effects of berberine with anticancer drugs or natural compounds have been proven in several cancers. This review outlines the anticancer effects and mechanisms of action of berberine in different cancers through modulation of various cell signaling pathways. Moreover, the recent developments in the drug delivery systems and synergistic effect of berberine are explained.
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Sun Q, Yang H, Liu M, Ren S, Zhao H, Ming T, Tang S, Tao Q, Chen L, Zeng S, Duan DD, Xu H. Berberine suppresses colorectal cancer by regulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway activity and gut microbiota. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 103:154227. [PMID: 35679795 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence reveals that dysregulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway and dysbiosis of gut microbiota are associated with the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Berberine, a botanical benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, possesses powerful activities against various malignancies including CRC, with the underlying mechanisms to be illuminated. PURPOSE The present study investigated the potencies of berberine on CRC and deciphered the action mechanisms in the context of Hedgehog signaling cascade and gut microbiota. METHODS The effects of berberine on the malignant phenotype, apoptosis, cell cycle and Hedgehog signaling of CRC cells were examined in vitro. In azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-caused mouse CRC, the efficacies of berberine on the carcinogenesis, pathological profile, apoptosis, cell cycle and Hedgehog signaling were determined in vivo. Also, the influences of berberine on gut microbiota in CRC mice were assessed by high-throughput DNA sequencing analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA of fecal microbiome in CRC mice. RESULTS In the present study, berberine was found to dampen the proliferation, migration, invasion and colony formation of CRC cells, without toxicity to normal colonic cells. Additionally, berberine induced apoptosis and arrested cell cycle at G0/G1 phase in CRC cells, accompanied by reduced Hedgehog signaling pathway activity in vitro. In mouse CRC, berberine suppressed tumor growth, ameliorated pathological manifestations, and potentially induced the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of CRC, with lowered Hedgehog signaling cascade in vivo. Additionally, berberine decreased β-diversity of gut microbiota in CRC mice, without influence on α-diversity. Berberine also enriched probiotic microbes and depleted pathogenic microbes, and modulated the functionality of gut microbiota in CRC mice. CONCLUSIONS Overall, berberine may suppress colorectal cancer, orchestrated by down-regulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway activity and modulation of gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Han Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Maolun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Shan Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Tianqi Ming
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Shun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Qiu Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Li Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Sha Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Dayue Darrel Duan
- Center for Phenomics of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
| | - Haibo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
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Evidence for Anticancer Effects of Chinese Medicine Monomers on Colorectal Cancer. Chin J Integr Med 2022; 28:939-952. [PMID: 35419728 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-022-3466-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers worldwide. Although clinical reports have indicated the anticancer effects of Chinese herbal medicine, the multiple underlying molecular and biochemical mechanisms of action remain to be fully characterized. Chinese medicine (CM) monomers, which are the active components of CM, serve as the material basis of the functional mechanisms of CM. The aim of this review is to summarize the current experimental evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies for the effects of CM monomers in colorectal cancer prevention and treatment, providing some useful references for future research.
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Fakhri S, Moradi SZ, Yarmohammadi A, Narimani F, Wallace CE, Bishayee A. Modulation of TLR/NF-κB/NLRP Signaling by Bioactive Phytocompounds: A Promising Strategy to Augment Cancer Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:834072. [PMID: 35299751 PMCID: PMC8921560 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.834072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tumors often progress to a more aggressive phenotype to resist drugs. Multiple dysregulated pathways are behind this tumor behavior which is known as cancer chemoresistance. Thus, there is an emerging need to discover pivotal signaling pathways involved in the resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and cancer immunotherapy. Reports indicate the critical role of the toll-like receptor (TLR)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/Nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing (NLRP) pathway in cancer initiation, progression, and development. Therefore, targeting TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling is a promising strategy to augment cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy and to combat chemoresistance. Considering the potential of phytochemicals in the regulation of multiple dysregulated pathways during cancer initiation, promotion, and progression, such compounds could be suitable candidates against cancer chemoresistance. Objectives This is the first comprehensive and systematic review regarding the role of phytochemicals in the mitigation of chemoresistance by regulating the TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling pathway in chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Methods A comprehensive and systematic review was designed based on Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed to include papers on TLR/NF-κB/NLRP and chemotherapy/immunotherapy/chemoresistance by phytochemicals. Results Phytochemicals are promising multi-targeting candidates against the TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling pathway and interconnected mediators. Employing phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, and sulfur compounds could be a promising strategy for managing cancer chemoresistance through the modulation of the TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling pathway. Novel delivery systems of phytochemicals in cancer chemotherapy/immunotherapy are also highlighted. Conclusion Targeting TLR/NF-κB/NLRP signaling with bioactive phytocompounds reverses chemoresistance and improves the outcome for chemotherapy and immunotherapy in both preclinical and clinical stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajad Fakhri
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Seyed Zachariah Moradi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Akram Yarmohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Narimani
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Carly E. Wallace
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL, United States
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL, United States
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Li G, Zhang C, Liang W, Zhang Y, Shen Y, Tian X. Berberine regulates the Notch1/PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and acts synergistically with 17-AAG and SAHA in SW480 colon cancer cells. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2021; 59:21-30. [PMID: 33417512 PMCID: PMC7808376 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2020.1865407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Berberine (BBR) is used to treat diarrhoea and gastroenteritis in the clinic. It was found to have anticolon cancer effects. OBJECTIVE To study the anticolon cancer mechanism of BBR by connectivity map (CMAP) analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS CMAP based mechanistic prediction was conducted by comparing gene expression profiles of 10 μM BBR treated MCF-7 cells with that of clinical drugs such as helveticoside, ianatoside C, pyrvinium, gossypol and trifluoperazine. The treatment time was 12 h and two biological replications were performed. The DMSO-treated cells were selected as a control. The interaction between 100 μM BBR and target protein was measured by cellular thermal shift assay. The protein expression of 1-9 μM BBR treated SW480 cells were measured by WB assay. Apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of 1-9 μM BBR treated SW480 cells were measured by flow cytometry and Hoechst 33342 staining methods. RESULTS CMAP analysis found 14 Hsp90, HDAC, PI3K or mTOR protein inhibitors have similar functions with BBR. The experiments showed that BBR inhibited SW480 cells proliferation with IC50 of 3.436 μM, induced apoptosis, autophage, MMP depolarization and arrested G1 phase of cell cycle at 1.0 μM. BBR dose-dependently up-regulated PTEN, while inhibited Notch1, PI3K, Akt and mTOR proteins at 1.0-9.0 μM (p < 0.05). BBR also acted synergistically with Hsp90 and HDAC inhibitor (0.01 μM) in SW480 cells at 0.5 and 1.0 μM. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The integrative gene expression-based chemical genomic method using CMAP analysis may be applicable for mechanistic studies of other multi-targets drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Li
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Chuang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China
| | - Wei Liang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Yanbing Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China
| | - Yunheng Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Xinhui Tian
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
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Jin BR, An HJ. Oral administration of berberine represses macrophage activation-associated benign prostatic hyperplasia: a pivotal involvement of the NF-κB. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:20016-20028. [PMID: 34411001 PMCID: PMC8436894 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203434] [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: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common chronic diseases in men over the age of 50. Clinical studies have suggested that chronic inflammation is associated with BPH pathoprogression. Berberine (BB) is a natural compound found in Berberis vulgaris, Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron amurense. Although several studies have documented that BB may be effective for inflammation, the effects of the oral administration of BB on BPH are not fully understood. The effects of BB on chronic prostatic inflammation were evaluated in a testosterone-induced BPH animal model. Orally administered BB alleviated the pathological alterations induced by BPH and significantly suppressed the expression of inflammatory markers while enhancing the expression of antioxidant factors. Furthermore, BB regulated the activation of macrophages via NF-κB signaling pathway inhibition in the BPH rat model. The effects and underlying signaling pathway of BB in RWPE-1 cells exposed to macrophage conditioned medium (CM) were also demonstrated in vitro. While CM stimulation induced prostatic cell proliferation and upregulated the expression of inflammatory factors, BB exerted anti-proliferation and anti-inflammatory effects in RWPE-1 cells. These findings propose that BB suppresses androgen-dependent BPH development by targeting NF-κB-mediated pro-inflammatory signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Ram Jin
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do 26339, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Jin An
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do 26339, Republic of Korea
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Devarajan N, Jayaraman S, Mahendra J, Venkatratnam P, Rajagopal P, Palaniappan H, Ganesan SK. Berberine-A potent chemosensitizer and chemoprotector to conventional cancer therapies. Phytother Res 2021; 35:3059-3077. [PMID: 33559280 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are mainstay treatments for cancer patients. However, their clinical outcomes are highly limited by the resistance of malignant tumors to these therapies and the incurrence of serious damages in vital organs. This in turn necessitates the development of adjunct drugs that overcomes chemo/radioresistance in refractory cancers and protects vital organs from the cytotoxic effects of cancer therapies. In recent years, Berberine (BBR), a natural isoquinoline alkaloid has garnered more attention due to its potent chemosensitizing and chemoprotective properties. BBR effectively sensitizes refractory cancers to chemotherapy and radiotherapy by ameliorating the diverse events underlying therapy resistance. Furthermore, it protects the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys from severe damages caused by these therapies. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the chemo/radiosensitizing and chemo/radioprotective potential of BBR during cancer treatment. Also, we highlight the limitations that hamper the clinical application of BBR as an adjunct drug and how novel innovations have been made in recent years to circumvent these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalini Devarajan
- Central Research Laboratory, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Selvaraj Jayaraman
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - Jaideep Mahendra
- Department of Periodontology, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, and Hospital, Chennai, India
| | - Purushothaman Venkatratnam
- Central Research laboratory, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Ponnulakshmi Rajagopal
- Central Research Laboratory, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Hema Palaniappan
- Department of Pharmacology, Coimbatore Medical College, Coimbatore, India
| | - Senthil Kumar Ganesan
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Structural Biology & Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Berberine inhibits proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells by downregulation of GRP78. Anticancer Drugs 2021; 31:141-149. [PMID: 31743135 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000000835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human colorectal cancer (CRC), a highly malignant and metastatic carcinoma, is resistant to many present anticancer therapies. The inhibition of tumor survival and growth through receptor suppression is a promising way to treat CRC. The study aimed to investigate the effect of a natural plant triterpenoid, berberine (BBR), on SW480 cells and whether its role is mediated by Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). MTT assay, wound healing assay, and Annexin V-FITC assay were used to measure the effect of BBR on the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of SW480 cells, respectively. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were used to evaluate both the downregulation of BBR on GRP78 and the role of GRP78 in the effect of BBR on SW480 cells. Our results revealed that BBR inhibited the proliferation and migration, as well as induced the apoptosis of SW480 cells, in a dose-dependent manner. BBR induced the dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation in HT-29 cells. BBR inhibited the expression of GRP78 and its localization on the cell surface. Moreover, BBR inhibited the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, c-Myc, and Vimentin and up-regulated the cytokeratin expression in SW480 cells. In addition, we found that the effects of BBR on cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in SW480 cells were reversed by the overexpression of GRP78. Our findings demonstrated that BBR inhibited the proliferation and migration and induced the apoptosis of SW480 cells by downregulating the expression of GRP78, and targeting GRP78 might be a potential way to develop the effective anticancer therapy.
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Survivin as a Target for Anti-cancer Phytochemicals According to the Molecular Docking Analysis. Int J Pept Res Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-019-09914-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Targeting of oncogenic signaling pathways by berberine for treatment of colorectal cancer. Med Oncol 2020; 37:49. [PMID: 32303850 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-020-01367-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Studies indicate that inhibiting a single signaling pathway or one single product of a gene is insufficient for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This is due to the fact that dysregulation must occur in more than 500 genes in order to produce a cancerous phenotype. Despite this evidence, available drugs used for cancer treatment focus on a single target. Meanwhile, berberine as a nutraceutical is capable of targeting various processes involved in tumor development including proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In comparison with synthetic agents, berberine is cheaper, safer, and more available. Berberine has shown anti-inflammatory properties which make it an ideal option in order to prevent inflammation-associated cancers. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers all over the world and its incidence is increasing each day. Therefore, further investigations about berberine could be helpful in the discovery of novel agents for preventing and/or treating colorectal cancer. This review emphasizes the studies investigating the roles of berberine in colorectal cancer such as controlling cell signaling pathways, inducing apoptosis, regulating microRNAs, attenuating oxidative stress, and affecting inflammation.
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Habtemariam S. Recent Advances in Berberine Inspired Anticancer Approaches: From Drug Combination to Novel Formulation Technology and Derivatization. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25061426. [PMID: 32245062 PMCID: PMC7144379 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25061426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Berberine is multifunctional natural product with potential to treat diverse pathological conditions. Its broad-spectrum anticancer effect through direct effect on cancer cell growth and metastasis have been established both in vitro and in vivo. The cellular targets that account to the anticancer effect of berberine are incredibly large and range from kinases (protein kinase B (Akt), mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), cell cycle checkpoint kinases, etc.) and transcription factors to genes and protein regulators of cell survival, motility and death. The direct effect of berberine in cancer cells is however relatively weak and occur at moderate concentration range (10–100 µM) in most cancer cells. The poor pharmacokinetics profile resulting from poor absorption, efflux by permeability-glycoprotein (P-gc) and extensive metabolism in intestinal and hepatic cells are other dimensions of berberine’s limitation as anticancer agent. This communication addresses the research efforts during the last two decades that were devoted to enhancing the anticancer potential of berberine. Strategies highlighted include using berberine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents either to reduce toxic side effects or enhance their anticancer effects; the various novel formulation approaches which by order of magnitude improved the pharmacokinetics of berberine; and semisynthetic approaches that enhanced potency by up to 100-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Habtemariam
- Pharmacognosy Research Laboratories & Herbal Analysis Services UK, University of Greenwich, Chatham-Maritime, ME4 4TB Kent, UK
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Warowicka A, Popenda Ł, Bartkowiak G, Musidlak O, Litowczenko-Cybulska J, Kuźma D, Nawrot R, Jurga S, Goździcka-Józefiak A. Protoberberine compounds extracted from Chelidonium majus L. as novel natural photosensitizers for cancer therapy. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 64:152919. [PMID: 31465980 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2019.152919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been shown that secondary metabolites occur in Chelidonium majus L. (C. majus) crude extract and milky sap (alkaloids such as berberine, coptisine, chelidonine, chelerythrine, sanguinarine, and protopine) are biologically active compounds with a wide spectrum of pharmacological functions. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from plants, possesses a wide range of biological activities, including inhibition of growth of a variety of cancer cell lines. PURPOSE AND STUDY DESIGN In the present study, we investigated the potential anticancer effect of a protoberberine alkaloidal fraction (BBR-F) isolated from the medicinal plant C. majus on HeLa and C33A cervical cancer cells after light irradiation (PDT treatment). METHODS BBR-F was prepared from an ethanolic extract of stems of C. majus. Identification of alkaloidal compounds was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. BBR-F was then biologically evaluated for its anticancer properties. Cytotoxic activity after PDT treatment and without light irradiation (dark cytotoxicity) was determined by colorimetric WST-1 assay. The impact of the protoberberine alkaloidal fraction on the morphology and function of the cells was assessed by fluorescence and confocal microscopy as well as by flow cytometric analysis. To investigate the proinflammatory effect of the extracted natural BBR-F, nitric oxide concentration was determined using the Griess method. RESULTS An effective reduction in HeLa and C33A cell viability was observed after PDT treatment of BBR-F treated cells. Furthermore, microscopic analysis identified various morphological changes in the studied cells that occurred during apoptosis. Apoptosis of HeLa and C33A cells was also characterized by biochemical changes in cell membrane composition, activation of intracellular caspases, disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. CONCLUSION Our results strongly suggest that the components of the natural plant protoberberine fraction (BBR-F) extracted from C. majus may represent promising novel photosensitive agents and can be applied in cancer photodynamic therapy as natural photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Warowicka
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 85, Poznań 61-614, Poland; Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, Poznań 61-614, Poland.
| | - Łukasz Popenda
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 85, Poznań 61-614, Poland
| | - Grażyna Bartkowiak
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 85, Poznań 61-614, Poland; Department of Supramolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Oskar Musidlak
- Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Jagoda Litowczenko-Cybulska
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 85, Poznań 61-614, Poland; Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Dorota Kuźma
- Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Robert Nawrot
- Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Stefan Jurga
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 85, Poznań 61-614, Poland
| | - Anna Goździcka-Józefiak
- Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
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Kirsanov KI, Vlasova OA, Fetisov TI, Zenkov RG, Lesovaya EA, Belitsky GA, Gurova K, Yakubovskaya MG. Influence of DNA-binding compounds with cancer preventive activity on the mechanisms of gene expression regulation. ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.17650/2313-805x-2018-5-4-41-63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. I. Kirsanov
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia; Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
| | - O. A. Vlasova
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - T. I. Fetisov
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - R. G. Zenkov
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - E. A. Lesovaya
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia; I.P. Pavlov Ryazan State Medical University
| | - G. A. Belitsky
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia
| | | | - M. G. Yakubovskaya
- N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia
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Abstract
Drug resistance is a well-known phenomenon that occurs when initially responsive to chemotherapy cancer cells become tolerant and elude further effectiveness of anticancer drugs. Based on their mechanism of action, anticancer drugs can be divided into cytotoxic-based agents and target-based agents. An important role among the therapeutics of the second group is played by drugs targeting topoisomerases, nuclear enzymes critical to DNA function and cell survival. These enzymes are cellular targets of several groups of anticancer agents which generate DNA damage in rapidly proliferating cancer cells. Drugs targeting topoisomerase I are mostly analogs of camtothecin, a natural compound isolated from the bark of a tree growing in China. Drugs targeting topoisomerase II are divided into poisons, such as anthracycline antibiotics, whose action is based on intercalation between DNA bases, and catalytic inhibitors that block topoisomerase II at different stages of the catalytic cycle. Unfortunately, chemotherapy is often limited by the induction of drug resistance. Identifying mechanisms that promote drug resistance is critical for the improvement of patient prognosis. Cancer drug resistance is a complex phenomenon that may be influenced by many factors. Here we discuss various mechanisms by which cancer cells can develop resistance to topoisomerase-directed drugs, which include enhanced drug efflux, mutations in topoisomerase genes, hypophosphorylation of topoisomerase II catalytic domain, activation of NF-κB transcription factor and drug inactivation. All these events may lead to the ineffective induction of cancer cell death. Attempts at circumventing drug resistance through the inhibition of cellular efflux pumps, use of silencing RNAs or inhibition of some important mechanisms, which can allow cancer cells to survive therapy, are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karol Wtorek
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Medical University of Łódź, Poland
| | - Angelika Długosz
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Medical University of Łódź, Poland
| | - Anna Janecka
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Medical University of Łódź, Poland
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25
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Wang J, Shao L, Wang CZ, Zhou HH, Yuan CS, Huang WH. Synergetic Inhibition of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells by Combining Polyyne-Enriched Fraction from Oplopanax elatus and Irinotecan. Nutr Cancer 2018; 71:472-482. [PMID: 30372160 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2018.1516788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Although irinotecan is an important anticancer drug for treating colorectal cancer, its dose-dependent side effects limited its clinical application. Thus, it's important to develop low-toxic candidates to enhance the efficacy of irinotecan. Polyynes from genus Oplopanax were reported to possess potential anticancer effects on colorectal cancer. Hereby, we evaluated the synergetic inhibition of human colorectal cancer cells by combining polyyne-enriched fraction from Oplopanax elatus (the dichloromethane fraction of Oplopanax elatus, OED) and irinotecan. The results showed that 5 μg/ml of OED combined with 40 μM of irinotecan possessed significant synergetic inhibition on SW-480 cells with a combination index (CI) of 0.56. Besides, the percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly increased from 69.57% (40 μM of irinotecan) or 72.7% (5 μg/ml of OED) to 95.6% after treatment of OED combined with irinotecan (OCI), suggesting OED and irinotecan possess the synergistic apoptotic effect (P < 0.01). Furthermore, Caspase-3 was significantly activated in OCI group (P < 0.05). Besides, the percentage of apoptotic cells of OED or/and irinotecan significantly decreased after inhibition of caspase-3. These data indicated that OED could enhance antiproliferative effects of irinotecan on colorectal cancer cells, which was related with induction of apoptosis and regulations of activity of caspase-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- a Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital , Central South University , Changsha , China.,b Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics , Central South University , Changsha , China
| | - Li Shao
- c Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy , Hunan University of Chinese Medicine , Changsha , Hunan , China
| | - Chong-Zhi Wang
- d Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, The Pritzker School of Medicine , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA
| | - Hong-Hao Zhou
- a Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital , Central South University , Changsha , China.,b Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics , Central South University , Changsha , China
| | - Chun-Su Yuan
- d Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, The Pritzker School of Medicine , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA
| | - Wei-Hua Huang
- a Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital , Central South University , Changsha , China.,b Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics , Central South University , Changsha , China.,d Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, The Pritzker School of Medicine , University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA
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26
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Shaojun C, Li H, Haixin H, Guisheng L. Expression of Topoisomerase 1 and carboxylesterase 2 correlates with irinotecan treatment response in metastatic colorectal cancer. Cancer Biol Ther 2018; 19:153-159. [PMID: 29261002 PMCID: PMC5790385 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2017.1414754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Topoisomerase 1 (TOPO-1) and carboxylesterase 2 (CES-2) are found to play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of various cancers. The prognostic role of TOPO-1 and CES-2 in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who underwent irinotecan chemotherapy was largely unknown. In the current study, we assessed the expression of TOPO-1 and CES-2 in mCRC and analyzed its potential relevance to irinotecan based therapy. A total of 98 patients with mCRC were included in this study. The expression of TOPO-1 and CES-2 in mCRC tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. For TOPO-1, 46 patients showed high expression and 52 patients showed low expression. For CES-2, 53 patients showed high expression and 45 patients showed low expression. The correlation between TOPO-1 or CES-2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of mCRC patients was analyzed. Neither TOPO-1 nor CES-2 had significant correlation with age, gender, tumor site, tumor grade and metastatic sites in mCRC patients. However, high expression of CES-2 but not TOP-1 was positively correlated with better curative effect. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test were applied to assess the correlation between progression-free survival (PFS)/overall survival (OS) and TOPO-1 or CES-2 expression in mCRC patients. High expression of TOPO-1 and CES-2 are correlated with longer PFS and OS. In summary, our findings suggest that TOPO-1 and CES-2 may play important roles irinotecan sensitivity in mCRC patients. Evaluation of expression of TOPO-1 and CES-2 may provide preliminary clinical evidence for the management of irinotecan-based therapy in mCRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Shaojun
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Huang Haixin
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Li Guisheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
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Yu M, Zou Q, Wu X, Han G, Tong X. Connexin 32 affects doxorubicin resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells mediated by Src/FAK signaling pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 95:1844-1852. [PMID: 28968929 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.09.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Doxorubicin (DOX) is first-line chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the effect is not satisfactory. The resistance of HCC cells to DOX is the main reason leading to treatment failure. Therefore, it is necessary to study the mechanism of DOX resistance in HCC. In this study, expression of connexin (Cx)32 was significantly decreased in HCC tissues compared with corresponding paracancerous tissues, and activity of the Src/focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathway was significantly enhanced. Expression of Cx32 was closely associated with activity of the Src/FAK signaling pathway, Cx32, and the Src/FAK signaling pathway was also correlated with degree of HCC differentiation. In DOX-resistant HepG2 cells, compared with DOX-sensitive HepG2 cells, expression of Cx32 was significantly reduced and activity of the Src/FAK pathway increased. After silencing Cx32 in HepG2 cells, activity of the Src/FAK pathway increased and sensitivity to DOX decreased. In contrast, overexpression of Cx32 in HepG2/DOX cells decreased activity of the Src/FAK pathway and increased sensitivity to DOX. Dasatinib and KX2-391, inhibitors of the Src/FAK pathway, significantly increased the sensitivity of HepG2/DOX cells to DOX. The results suggest that Src/FAK is a downstream regulator of Cx32 and Cx32 regulates the sensitivity of HCC cells to DOX via the Src/FAK signaling pathway. Our study demonstrates a potential mechanism of DOX resistance in HCC cells and supports that Cx32-Src/FAK is an important target for reversing drug resistance of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Qi Zou
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiang Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Guangshu Han
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233030, PR China
| | - Xuhui Tong
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233030, PR China.
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28
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Berberine binds RXRα to suppress β-catenin signaling in colon cancer cells. Oncogene 2017; 36:6906-6918. [PMID: 28846104 PMCID: PMC5735301 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, is a traditional oriental medicine used to treat diarrhea and gastroenteritis. Recently, we reported that it could inhibit the growth of intestinal polyp in animals and in patients with the familial adenomatous polyposis by downregulating β-catenin signaling. However, the intracellular target mediating the effects of berberine remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that berberine inhibits β-catenin function via directly binding to a unique region comprising residues Gln275, Arg316 and Arg371 in nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα), where berberine concomitantly binding to and synergistically activating RXRα with 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), a natural ligand binding to the classical ligand-binding pocket of RXRα. Berberine binding promotes RXRα interaction with nuclear β-catenin, leading to c-Cbl mediated degradation of β-catenin, and consequently inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Furthermore, berberine suppresses the growth of human colon carcinoma xenograft in nude mice in an RXRα-dependent manner. Together, our study not only identifies RXRα as a direct protein target for berberine but also dissects their binding mode and validates that berberine indeed suppresses β-catenin signaling and cell growth in colon cancer via binding RXRα, which provide new strategies for the design of new RXRα-based antitumor agents and drug combinations.
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29
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Burkitt MD, Williams JM, Townsend T, Hough R, Duckworth CA, Pritchard DM. Mice lacking NF-κB1 exhibit marked DNA damage responses and more severe gastric pathology in response to intraperitoneal tamoxifen administration. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2939. [PMID: 28726772 PMCID: PMC5584614 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Tamoxifen (TAM) has recently been shown to cause acute gastric atrophy and metaplasia in mice. We have previously demonstrated that the outcome of Helicobacter felis infection, which induces similar gastric lesions in mice, is altered by deletion of specific NF-κB subunits. Nfkb1-/- mice developed more severe gastric atrophy than wild-type (WT) mice 6 weeks after H. felis infection. In contrast, Nfkb2-/- mice were protected from this pathology. We therefore hypothesized that gastric lesions induced by TAM may be similarly regulated by signaling via NF-κB subunits. Groups of five female C57BL/6 (WT), Nfkb1-/-, Nfkb2-/- and c-Rel-/- mice were administered 150 mg/kg TAM by IP injection. Seventy-two hours later, gastric corpus tissues were taken for quantitative histological assessment. In addition, groups of six female WT and Nfkb1-/- mice were exposed to 12 Gy γ-irradiation. Gastric epithelial apoptosis was quantified 6 and 48 h after irradiation. TAM induced gastric epithelial lesions in all strains of mice, but this was more severe in Nfkb1-/- mice than in WT mice. Nfkb1-/- mice exhibited more severe parietal cell loss than WT mice, had increased gastric epithelial expression of Ki67 and had an exaggerated gastric epithelial DNA damage response as quantified by γH2AX. To investigate whether the difference in gastric epithelial DNA damage response of Nfkb1-/- mice was unique to TAM-induced DNA damage or a generic consequence of DNA damage, we also assessed gastric epithelial apoptosis following γ-irradiation. Six hours after γ-irradiation, gastric epithelial apoptosis was increased in the gastric corpus and antrum of Nfkb1-/- mice. NF-κB1-mediated signaling regulates the development of gastric mucosal pathology following TAM administration. This is associated with an exaggerated gastric epithelial DNA damage response. This aberrant response appears to reflect a more generic sensitization of the gastric mucosa of Nfkb1-/- mice to DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Burkitt
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, The Henry Wellcome Laboratory, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Tristan Townsend
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, The Henry Wellcome Laboratory, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rachael Hough
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, The Henry Wellcome Laboratory, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - D Mark Pritchard
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, The Henry Wellcome Laboratory, Liverpool, UK
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30
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Zhang Y, Liang Y, He C. Anticancer activities and mechanisms of heat-clearing and detoxicating traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Chin Med 2017; 12:20. [PMID: 28702078 PMCID: PMC5506596 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-017-0140-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, pathogenic heat and toxins, which are akin to the inflammatory factors, are the causes of cancer and could promote its virulent development. Therefore, heat-clearing and detoxicating (HCD) herbs are essential components of TCM formulas for cancer treatment. An increasing interest has been focused on the study of HCD herbs and accumulated evidences have shown that HCD herbs or HCD herbs-based formulas exhibited remarkable anticancer effects when used alone or combined with other therapeutic approaches. Some of the HCD herb-derived products have been tested in clinical trials. Studies revealed that extracts or pure compounds of the HCD herbs showed a broad anticancer spectrum against both solid and hematologic malignancies without significant toxic effects. Notably, some HCD herbs or formulas could strongly enhance the anticancer activities of chemo- or radio-therapy and alleviate their side effects. The anticancer activities of HCD herb exacts or the pure compounds were reported to be through multiple cellular or molecular mechanisms, such as induction of cancer cell apoptosis, differentiation and cell cycle arrest, inhibition of cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. In this review, we provide comprehensive analysis and summary of research progress and future prospects in this field to facilitate the further study and application of HCD herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, N22-7038, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macao, 999078 China
| | - Yeer Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, N22-7038, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macao, 999078 China
| | - Chengwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, N22-7038, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macao, 999078 China
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31
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Zhang X, Yin JF, Zhang J, Kong SJ, Zhang HY, Chen XM. UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms are correlated with irinotecan-induced neutropenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2017; 80:135-149. [PMID: 28585035 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-017-3344-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Irinotecan (IRI) chemotherapy toxicities can be severe, and may result in treatment delay, morbidity and in some rare cases death. Neutropenia is a life-threatening side effect of irinotecan, and UDP glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) gene polymorphisms could predict the side effects in cancer patients and then reduce IRI-induced toxicity by preventative treatment or a decrease in dose. Both UGT1A1*6 and *28 were reliably demonstrated to be risk factors for IRI-induced neutropenia, with tests for both polymorphisms potentially being particularly useful in Asian cancer patients. However, some researchers reported that UGT1A1*6 could predict IRI-induced toxicities in Asian populations, controversial conclusions still remained. Thus, the association between UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms and IRI-induced severe toxicity in cancer patients is still needed to be explored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms and IRI-related severe neutropenia in cancer patients on a large scale. A total of 12 studies that included 746 wild genotype (G/G) cases and 394 variant genotype (G/A and A/A) cases were included on the basis of inclusion criteria. Then we assessed the methodologies quality; odds ratio (OR), risk difference (RD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to assess the strength of association. Overall, an increased risk of severe neutropenia in cancer patients with UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms was found. Patients with recessive models (GA + AA vs. GG) of UGT1A1*6 showed an increased risk (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.54-2.68; RD = 0.11, P < 0.001). Specifically, the heterozygous variant of UGT1A1*6 showed an increased risk (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.36-2.46; RD = 0.09, P < 0.001), and homozygous mutation showed also high risk (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.83-4.75; RD = 0.18, P < 0.001) for severe neutropenia. Subgroup meta-analysis revealed that for patients harboring both heterozygous and homozygous variants, cancer types, low dose of IRI and the duration of treatment also presented comparably increased risk in suffering severe neutropenia. As for country, in China and Japan, there was a statistically increased severe neutropenia with variant genotype of UGT1A1*6 (China: GA + AA vs. GG, OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.28-2.59; RD = 0.08, P = 0.001; Japan: GA + AA vs. GG, OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.45-3.92; RD = 0.15, P = 0.001). In conclusion, in this meta-analysis, the UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms were associated with an increased risk of IRI-induced neutropenia in cancer patients, and increased incidences of severe neutropenia could be correlated with diverse regions, cancer type, low dose of IRI and the duration of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Third Affiliated Hospital to Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Fu Yin
- Department of Pharmacy, Third Affiliated Hospital to Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali, 671000, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Jia Kong
- Department of Pharmacy, Third Affiliated Hospital to Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Yin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Third Affiliated Hospital to Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Mei Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Third Affiliated Hospital to Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
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Yu M, Qi B, Xiaoxiang W, Xu J, Liu X. Baicalein increases cisplatin sensitivity of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 90:677-685. [PMID: 28415048 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid, exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. However, few studies reported the interaction of baicalein with chemotherapeutic agents. Our study showed that baicalein significantly enhanced the chemosensitivity of cisplatin (CDDP) in vivo and in vitro. We found that A549/CDDP (resistant to CDDP) cells not only acquired epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype, but also showed increased NF-κB activity compared with A549 cells (sensitive to CDDP). Our study further demonstrated that PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway controlled CDDP resistance via EMT and NF-κB-mediated apoptosis. Baicalein significantly suppressed the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway, leading to conversion of EMT to mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET, the reciprocal mesenchymal to epithelial transition), and inhibition of NF-κB-mediated antiapoptotic proteins in A549/CDDP cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that baicalein reversed the resistance of human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin by inhibiting EMT and attenuating apoptosis via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Benquan Qi
- Department of Emergency Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Wu Xiaoxiang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233004, PR China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, Bengbu, 233030, PR China.
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33
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Zou K, Li Z, Zhang Y, Zhang HY, Li B, Zhu WL, Shi JY, Jia Q, Li YM. Advances in the study of berberine and its derivatives: a focus on anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects in the digestive system. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2017; 38:157-167. [PMID: 27917872 PMCID: PMC5309756 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2016.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been widely recognized that inflammation, particularly chronic inflammation, can increase the risk of cancer and that the simultaneous treatment of inflammation and cancer may produce excellent therapeutic effects. Berberine, an alkaloid isolated from Rhizoma coptidis, has broad applications, particularly as an antibacterial agent in the clinic with a long history. Over the past decade, many reports have demonstrated that this natural product and its derivatives have high activity against both cancer and inflammation. In this review, we summarize the advances in studing berberine and its derivatives as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agents in the digestive system; we also discuss their structure-activity relationship. These data should be useful for the development of this natural product as novel anticancer drugs with anti-inflammation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Drug Discovery and Design Centre, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhao Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Drug Discovery and Design Centre, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Drug Discovery and Design Centre, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hao-yue Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Drug Discovery and Design Centre, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Bo Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Drug Discovery and Design Centre, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei-liang Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Drug Discovery and Design Centre, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ji-ye Shi
- UCB Biopharma SPRL, Chemin du Foriest, Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
- Kellogg College, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6PN, United Kingdom
| | - Qi Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yi-ming Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
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34
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Xu C, Tang X, Qu Y, Keyoumu S, Zhou N, Tang Y. UGT1A1 gene polymorphism is associated with toxicity and clinical efficacy of irinotecan-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2016; 78:119-30. [PMID: 27220761 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-016-3057-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between uridine diphosphate glucoronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1)*28/*6 and toxicity and clinical efficacy of irinotecan-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) in Xinjiang Uygur and Han population. METHODS A total of 183 patients (Uygur, 114; Han, 69) with advanced CRC who received the irinotecan-based chemotherapy were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing method were used for UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*6 polymorphism detection. The patients were followed up to analyze the relationship between different genotypes with adverse reactions and the clinical outcome of irinotecan-based chemotherapy. RESULTS Significant differences were found in genotype frequencies of UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*28/*6 between Uygur and Han (P = 0.02 and P = 0.002). Uygur and Han patients carrying wild UGT1A1*28 and *6 genotypes appeared to have significantly lower diarrhea incidence (I/II and III/IV) than those carrying mutant genotypes (all P < 0.05). In Uygur patients, UGT1A1*28 genotypes were related with objective response rate and disease control rate (P < 0.05). Compared with *1 allele *1/*1, *1 allele *1/*28*1/*28 mutant of UGT1A1*28 was associated with shorter OS in both Uygur and Han ethnicities (all P < 0.05). Compared with double allele variants (DW), single allele variants (SV), and double allele variants (DV) of UGT1A1*28/*6 were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) in Uygur and Han (all P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed factors significantly influencing OS, including UGT1A1*28, UGT1A1*6, combined genotypes and chemotherapy line in Ugyur, and only combined genotypes in Han (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION UGT1A1 gene polymorphism predicts irinotecan-related adverse reactions in advanced CRC patients of Xinjiang Uygur and Han nationality; UGT1A1 gene polymorphism is correlated with efficacy and prognosis in Uygur nationality, but only related to prognosis in Han nationality in irinotecan-based chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlei Xu
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 789, Suzhou East Road, Ürümqi, 830000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xushan Tang
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 789, Suzhou East Road, Ürümqi, 830000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanli Qu
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 789, Suzhou East Road, Ürümqi, 830000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Saifuding Keyoumu
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 789, Suzhou East Road, Ürümqi, 830000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Zhou
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 789, Suzhou East Road, Ürümqi, 830000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Tang
- Department of Digestive Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No. 789, Suzhou East Road, Ürümqi, 830000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.
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Wang N, Tan HY, Li L, Yuen MF, Feng Y. Berberine and Coptidis Rhizoma as potential anticancer agents: Recent updates and future perspectives. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 176:35-48. [PMID: 26494507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Revised: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The antineoplastic property of Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine was correlated with its traditional use of clearing internal fire, removing damp-heat and counteracting toxic pathogens. AIM OF THE STUDY The anti-tumor effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine was extensively studied since our last comprehensive review in 2009. This study aims to summarize the recent updates and give rise to perspectives of Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine as potential novel antineoplastic agents. METHODS Quality studies in recent 5 years were retrieved from PubMed, Medline and CNKI with keywords including Coptis, Coptidis Rhizoma, huanglian, berberine, tumor and cancer. Studies were focused on the pharmacological actions of Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine in cancer progression. RESULTS It was shown that Coptidis Rhizoma extract and berberine may repress tumor progression by regressing abnormal cell proliferation, arresting cell cycle and inducing cell death. Studies also highlighted the actions of Coptidis Rhizoma extract and berberine in inhibiting tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis, which in turn abolish cancer metastasis. Some studies have also been conducted to reveal the potential effect of Coptidis Rhizoma extract and berberine in regulating tumor stromal microenvironment, as well as in preventing carcinogenesis. Most of the results have been demonstrated with in vivo models, but results of high-quality clinical trials are not yet available. Unspecified cancer type and staging, fluctuated dose information and variants of targets across studies of berberine/ Coptidis Rhizoma impede their clinical use for cancer treatment. CONCLUSION Recent advances highlighted by this review may shed light on future direction of studies featuring Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine as novel antineoplastic agents, which should be repeatedly proven in future animal and clinical studies. Although more evidences on its specificity and clinical efficacy are necessary to support its clinical use, Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine are highly expected to be effective, safe and affordable treatments for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hor-Yue Tan
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lei Li
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Man-Fung Yuen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Queen Mary Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yibin Feng
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Jin Z, Yan W, Jin H, Ge C, Xu Y. Differential effect of psoralidin in enhancing apoptosis of colon cancer cells via nuclear factor-κB and B-cell lymphoma-2/B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X protein signaling pathways. Oncol Lett 2015; 11:267-272. [PMID: 26870201 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in terms of incidence, following lung and breast cancer. Resistance to psoralidin frequently occurs following its use as an anticancer treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of psoralidin on colon cancer, remain to be elucidated. Hence, the present study investigated the anticancer effects and potential mechanism of action of psoralidin on SW480 human colon cancer cells. In the present study, an MTT assay was performed to measure the viability of SW480 cells. Additionally, an Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit, DAPI staining assay and caspase-3 colorimetric assay kits were used to analyze the cellular apoptosis of SW480 cells. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 activity and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) protein expression of SW480 cells was detected using NF-κB colorimetric assay kits and western blot analysis, respectively. Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737 was added to SW480 cells and the subsequent effects and mechanism of action of psoralidin on SW480 colon cancer cells was studied. In the present study, psoralidin reduced SW480 cell viability and enhanced the cellular apoptosis of SW480 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Caspase-3 activity of SW480 cells was increased following treatment with psoralidin. Additionally, psoralidin was able to reduce the NF-κB p65 activity of SW480 cells. Furthermore, psoralidin was able to reduce Bcl-2 protein expression and increase Bax protein expression in SW480 cells. Notably, Bcl-2 inhibitor was observed to enhance the effects of psoralidin on SW480 cells. The results of the present study suggest that psoralidin may be a candidate drug for the treatment of colon cancer by inhibition of the NF-κB and Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiliang Jin
- Department of Oncology, Central Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Central Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Hui Jin
- Department of Neonatology, Central Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Changzheng Ge
- Department of Oncology, Central Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
| | - Yanhua Xu
- Department of Oncology, Central Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, Hubei 434020, P.R. China
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Bao J, Huang B, Zou L, Chen S, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Chen M, Wan JB, Su H, Wang Y, He C. Hormetic Effect of Berberine Attenuates the Anticancer Activity of Chemotherapeutic Agents. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139298. [PMID: 26421434 PMCID: PMC4589364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormesis is a phenomenon of biphasic dose response characterized by exhibiting stimulatory or beneficial effects at low doses and inhibitory or toxic effects at high doses. Increasing numbers of chemicals of various types have been shown to induce apparent hormetic effect on cancer cells. However, the underlying significance and mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Berberine, one of the major active components of Rhizoma coptidis, has been manifested with notable anticancer activities. This study aims to investigate the hormetic effect of berberine and its influence on the anticancer activities of chemotherapeutic agents. Our results demonstrated that berberine at low dose range (1.25 ~ 5 μM) promoted cell proliferation to 112% ~170% of the untreated control in various cancer cells, while berberine at high dose rage (10 ~ 80 μM) inhibited cell proliferation. Further, we observed that co-treatment with low dose berberine could significantly attenuate the anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic agents, including fluorouracil (5-FU), camptothecin (CPT), and paclitaxel (TAX). The hormetic effect and thereby the attenuated anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic drugs by berberine may attributable to the activated protective stress response in cancer cells triggered by berberine, as evidenced by up-regulated MAPK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. These results provided important information to understand the potential side effects of hormesis, and suggested cautious application of natural compounds and relevant herbs in adjuvant treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaolin Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Borong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Lidi Zou
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shenghui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Yulin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Meiwan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Jian-Bo Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Huanxing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Yitao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Chengwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
- * E-mail:
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Kuo HP, Lee YJ, Hsu CY, Lee SL, Hsu SC, Chuang TC, Liu JY, Kuo CL, Ho CT, Kao MC. Growth-suppressive effect of berberine on endometrial carcinoma cells: Role of mitochondrial and PI3K/Akt pathway. J Funct Foods 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Lu W, Du S, Wang J. Berberine inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and induces G₀/G₁ or G₂/M phase arrest at different concentrations. Mol Med Rep 2014; 11:3920-4. [PMID: 25572870 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.3139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most common disease of the male reproductive system. Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt that is extracted from plants. The aim of the current study was to explore the antitumor activity of berberine in prostate cancer cells and identify the underlying mechanism of its effects. PC3 human and RM‑1 mouse prostate cancer cells were treated with increasing concentrations of berberine, followed by analysis of the cell viability with an MTT assay. The results demonstrated that berberine markedly inhibited the proliferation of PC3 and RM‑1 cells, and that the inhibitory effects to PC3 and RM‑1 were enhanced in a concentration‑ and time‑dependent manner. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle of PC3 human prostate cancer cells, and the results demonstrated that G0/G1 phase arrest was induced following treatment with 10 µM berberine (P<0.05). However, with an increased concentration of berberine (50 µM) the survival rate of PC3 cells at the G2/M phase was significantly increased compared with the cells treated with 10 µM berberine, which suggests that different cell cycle signaling pathways were activated when PC3 cells were treated with low and high concentrations of berberine. Thus, clarifying the mechanism underlying these effects in prostate cancer may provide novel molecular targets for prostate cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lu
- Department of Urology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Shanshan Du
- Department of Urology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Jiaqiang Wang
- Department of Urology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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Ortiz LMG, Lombardi P, Tillhon M, Scovassi AI. Berberine, an epiphany against cancer. Molecules 2014; 19:12349-67. [PMID: 25153862 PMCID: PMC6271598 DOI: 10.3390/molecules190812349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alkaloids are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases. These compounds are synthesized in plants as secondary metabolites and have multiple effects on cellular metabolism. Among plant derivatives with biological properties, the isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid berberine possesses a broad range of therapeutic uses against several diseases. In recent years, berberine has been reported to inhibit cell proliferation and to be cytotoxic towards cancer cells. Based on this evidence, many derivatives have been synthesized to improve berberine efficiency and selectivity; the results so far obtained on human cancer cell lines support the idea that they could be promising agents for cancer treatment. The main properties of berberine and derivatives will be illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paolo Lombardi
- Naxospharma, Via Giuseppe di Vittorio 70, Novate Milanese 20026, Italy.
| | - Micol Tillhon
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare CNR, Via Abbiategrasso 207, Pavia 27100, Italy.
| | - Anna Ivana Scovassi
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare CNR, Via Abbiategrasso 207, Pavia 27100, Italy.
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Jabbarzadeh Kaboli P, Rahmat A, Ismail P, Ling KH. Targets and mechanisms of berberine, a natural drug with potential to treat cancer with special focus on breast cancer. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 740:584-95. [PMID: 24973693 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and novel therapeutic agents are needed to treat this disease. The plant-based alkaloid berberine has potential therapeutic applications for breast cancer, although a better understanding of the genes and cellular pathways regulated by this compound is needed to define the mechanism of its action in cancer treatment. In this review, the molecular targets of berberine in various cancers, particularly breast cancer, are discussed. Berberine was shown to be effective in inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis in various cancerous cells. Some signaling pathways affected by berberine, including the MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, are critical for reducing cellular migration and sensitivity to various growth factors. This review will discuss recent studies and consider the application of new prospective approaches based on microRNAs and other crucial regulators for use in future studies to define the action of berberine in cancer. The effects of berberine on cancer cell survival and proliferation are also outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parham Jabbarzadeh Kaboli
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Asmah Rahmat
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Patimah Ismail
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - King-Hwa Ling
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; Genetics and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
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