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Zhang A, Dong S, Yang F, Zhang Y, Teng Y, Tang W, Liu J, Fan H, Peng Y, Zheng J. Effect of X-ray irradiation on renal excretion of bestatin through down-regulating organic anion transporters via the vitamin D receptor in rats. Chem Biol Interact 2024:111123. [PMID: 38964638 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.111123] [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: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacokinetic changes induced by radiation following radiotherapy ("RT-PK" phenomenon) are of great significance to the effectiveness and safety of chemotherapeutic agents in clinical settings. The aims of this study were to clarify the organic anion transporters (Oats) involved in the "RT-PK" phenomenon of bestatin in rats following X-ray irradiation and to elucidate its potential mechanism via vitamin D signalling. Pharmacokinetic studies, uptake assays using rat kidney slices and primary proximal tubule cells, and molecular biological studies were performed. Significantly increased plasma concentrations and systemic exposure to bestatin were observed at 24 and 48 h following abdominal X-ray irradiation, regardless of oral or intravenous administration of the drugs in rats. Reduced renal clearance and cumulative urinary excretion of bestatin were observed at 24 and 48 h post-irradiation in rats following intravenous administration. The uptake of the probe substrates p-aminohippuric acid and oestrone 3-sulphate sodium in vitro and the expression of Oat1 and Oat3 in vivo were reduced in the corresponding models following irradiation. Moreover, the upregulation of the vitamin D receptor (Vdr) in mRNA and protein levels negatively correlated with the expressions and functions of Oat1 and Oat3 following irradiation. Additionally, elevated plasma urea nitrogen levels and histopathological changes were observed in rats after exposure to irradiation. The "RT-PK" phenomenon of bestatin occurs in rats after exposure to irradiation, possibly resulting in the regulation of the expressions and activities of renal Oats via activation of the Vdr signalling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijie Zhang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China; State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, 9 Beijing Road, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Shiqi Dong
- Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Fanlong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China
| | - Yunhua Teng
- Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Weisheng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Huirong Fan
- Key Laboratory of Radiopharmacokinetics for Innovative Drugs, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baidi road, Tianjin 300192, China.
| | - Ying Peng
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China.
| | - Jiang Zheng
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China; State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, 9 Beijing Road, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, P. R. China.
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Liu Q, Dong H, Zhao W, Zhang G, Li S, Xu Q, Zhang Y. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of APN and AKT Dual-Target Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1932-1941. [PMID: 34917257 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein a novel series of APN and AKT dual inhibitors were derived from the clinical AKT inhibitor AZD5363. It was demonstrated that most compounds exhibited remarkable APN inhibitory activities with the most potent compound 8b (IC50 = 0.05 ± 0.01 μM) being over 70-fold more potent than the approved APN inhibitor bestatin (IC50 = 3.64 ± 0.56 μM). The moderate AKT inhibitory potencies of target compounds were also confirmed, with 5f and 5h possessing AKT1 IC50 values of 0.12 and 0.27 μM, respectively. More importantly, the APN IC50 values of 5f and 5h were 0.96 and 0.21 μM, respectively, indicating their balanced APN and AKT dual inhibition. HUVEC tube formation assays confirmed the superior APN inhibitory activities of 5f and 5h relative to bestatin at the cellular level. Western blot analysis demonstrated that 5h could effectively inhibit the phosphorylation of GSK3β, the intracellular substrate of AKT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Hang Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Guozhen Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Shunda Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Qifu Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Yingjie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
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Hydroxychloroquine Potentiates Apoptosis Induced by PPAR α Antagonist in 786-O Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells Associated with Inhibiting Autophagy. PPAR Res 2021; 2021:6631605. [PMID: 33959154 PMCID: PMC8075691 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6631605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the major pathological pattern of renal cell carcinoma. The ccRCC cells exhibit a certain degree of inherent drug resistance due to some genetic mutations. In recent years, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) antagonists have been reported as a targeted therapeutic drug capable of inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the ccRCC cell line. Autophagy, which can be induced by stress in eukaryotic cells, plays a complex role in the proliferation, survival, and death of tumor cells. In our study, we found that the expression of PPARα was low in highly differentiated ccRCC tissues and 786-O cell line but high in poorly differentiated ccRCC tissues. The level of PPARα expression in ccRCC tissues is correlated to the grade of differentiation, but not to the sex or age of ccRCC patients. The findings also revealed that the PPARα antagonist GW6471 can lower cell viability and induce autophagy in the 786-O ccRCC cell line. This autophagy can be inhibited by hydroxychloroquine. When treated with a combination of hydroxychloroquine and GW6471, the viability of the 786-O cells was decreased further when compared to the treatment with GW6471 or hydroxychloroquine alone, and apoptosis was promoted. Meanwhile, when human kidney 2 cells were cotreated with hydroxychloroquine and GW6471, cell viability was only slightly influenced. Hence, our finding indicates that the combination of GW6471 and hydroxychloroquine may constitute a novel and potentially effective treatment for ccRCC. Furthermore, this approach is likely to be safe owing to its minimal effects on normal renal tissues.
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In Vivo Molecular Imaging of the Efficacy of Aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) Receptor Inhibitor Treatment on Experimental Tumors Using 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) Peptide. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:6642973. [PMID: 33778075 PMCID: PMC7972841 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6642973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Introduction The aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) receptor plays an important role in the neoangiogenic process and metastatic tumor cell invasion. Clinical and preclinical studies reported that bestatin and actinonin are cytotoxic to APN/CD13-positive tumors and metastases due to their APN/CD13-specific inhibitor properties. Our previous studies have already shown that 68Ga-labeled NGR peptides bind specifically to APN/CD13 expressing tumor cells. The APN/CD13 specificity of 68Ga-NGR radiopharmaceuticals enables the following of the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy with APN/CD13-specific inhibitors using positron emission tomography (PET). The aim of this in vivo study was to assess the antitumor effect of bestatin and actinonin treatment in subcutaneous transplanted HT1080 and B16-F10 tumor-bearing animal models using 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR). Materials and Methods Three days after the inoculation of HT1080 and B16-F10 cells, mice were treated with intraperitoneal injection of bestatin (15 mg/kg) or actinonin (5 mg/kg) for 7 days. On the 5th and 10th day, in vivo PET scans and ex vivo biodistribution studies were performed 90 min after intravenous injection of 5.5 ± 0.2 MBq68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR). Results Control-untreated HT1080 and B16-F10 tumors were clearly visualized by the APN/CD13-specific 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) radiopharmaceutical. The western blot analysis also confirmed the strong APN/CD13 positivity in the investigated tumors. We found significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower radiopharmaceutical uptake after bestatin treatment and higher radiotracer accumulation in the actinonin-treated HT1080 tumors. In contrast, significantly lower (p ≤ 0.01) 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) accumulation was observed in both bestatin- and actinonin-treated B16-F10 melanoma tumors compared to the untreated-control tumors. Bestatin inhibited tumor growth and 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) uptake in both tumor models. Conclusion The bestatin treatment is suitable for suppressing the neoangiogenic process and APN/CD13 expression of experimental HT1080 and B16-F10 tumors; furthermore, 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) is an applicable radiotracer for the in vivo monitoring of the efficacy of the APN/CD13 inhibition-based anticancer therapies.
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Zhang M, Cai H, Du Y, Wang Y, Gong J, Xu J, Liu X. Enhancing the Therapeutic Efficacy of Gefitinib in Human Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer through Drug Combination. Mol Pharm 2021; 18:1397-1407. [PMID: 33471533 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c01203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) significantly influences tumorigenesis, so TME-targeted therapy has attracted widespread attention. We have previously demonstrated that the combination of dipyridamole, bestatin, and dexamethasone (DBD mix, DBDx) is effective against heterogeneous human pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma in mouse xenograft models. To further expand the therapeutic potential of this drug combination, herein, we investigated the antitumor efficacy and the underlying mechanism of DBDx and the combination of DBDx and gefitinib in different mouse xenograft models of human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Three human cancer cell lines H460, PG, and A431 were used to determine the apoptosis and growth inhibition induced by DBDx, gefitinib, and their combinations. Changes in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway-related proteins were analyzed following treatment using western blotting. In vitro, DBDx strongly inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells, whereas the combined treatment exhibited a significant synergistic effect. Compared with DBDx, the combination treatment further induced apoptosis and downregulated the expression of molecules associated with EGFR signaling pathway. In vivo, compared with DBDx alone, the combination treatment distinctly inhibited tumor growth in mouse xenograft models of human NSCLC. Overall, our results indicate that the combination of DBDx and gefitinib in the treatment of human NSCLC is very promising, which warrants further translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengran Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Hao Cai
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yue Du
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yuexuan Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jianhua Gong
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xiujun Liu
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Tiantanxili, Beijing 100050, China
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Huang Z, Wang T, Xia W, Li Q, Chen X, Liu X, Wei P, Xu W, Lv M. Oblongifolin C reverses GEM resistance via suppressing autophagy flux in bladder cancer cells. Exp Ther Med 2020; 20:1431-1440. [PMID: 32765672 PMCID: PMC7388549 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.8856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A number of previous studies have demonstrated that inhibiting autophagy can increase the cellular cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents in urothelial cancer cells. However, the mechanistic roles of autophagy in gemcitabine (GEM) resistant bladder cancer cells have not been thoroughly investigated. In the present study, immunohistochemistry staining of autophagy marker LC3 was performed in bladder cancer and healthy control tissues and demonstrated an essential role of autophagy in cancer development. A GEM-resistant cell line was established to assess the effects of autophagy on the acquisition of GEM resistance. Western blotting of autophagy markers in GEM-resistant bladder cancer cells suggested that GEM resistance was caused, at least partially, by GEM-induced autophagy. GEM resistance was demonstrated to be reversed by the inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine. In addition, oblongifolin C (OC), a novel autophagic flux inhibitor purified from traditional Chinese medicine, was found to enhance the efficiency of GEM in GEM-resistant bladder cancer cells by inhibiting autophagic flux. In conclusion, data from the present study suggest that autophagy serves an important role in bladder cancer development and GEM resistance. OC treatment has the ability to reverse GEM-resistance in bladder cancer cells by suppressing autophagic flux, thereby providing a potential adjunctive therapeutic option for bladder cancer GEM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilong Huang
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
- Department of Anesthesia, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Wenjun Xia
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Urology, Yucheng People's Hospital, Yucheng, Shandong 251200, P.R. China
| | - Xinlei Chen
- Department of Anesthesia, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Peng Wei
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Wenping Xu
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Meirong Lv
- Department of Nursing, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276003, P.R. China
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Wang Y, Pang B, Zhang R, Fu Y, Pang Q. Ubenimex induces apoptotic and autophagic cell death in rat GH3 and MMQ cells through the ROS/ERK pathway. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2019; 13:3217-3228. [PMID: 31571825 PMCID: PMC6750015 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s218371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Ubenimex, an aminopeptidase N (APN) inhibitor, is widely known for its use as an adjunct therapy for cancer therapy. However, in recent studies, it has also conferred antitumour effects in many cancers, but its anticancer mechanism is largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the specific anticancer activities and mechanisms of ubenimex in GH3 and MMQ cells. Materials and methods In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of ubenimex in GH3 and MMQ cells. Cell viability and cell death were assessed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 kit (CCK-8) and a LIVE/DEAD cell imaging kit. Apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were assessed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Autophagosome formation was detected by transmission electron microscopy, and autophagic flux was measured with mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenoviral transfection. The protein expression level was detected by Western blotting. Results The results revealed that treatment with ubenimex induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death in GH3 and MMQ cells, which resulted in decreased viability, an increased proportion of apoptotic cells, and autophagosome formation. Further experiments showed that ubenimex induced ROS generation and activated the ROS/ERK pathway. The ROS scavenger NAC could attenuate ubenimex-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Conclusion Our studies revealed that ubenimex exerted anticancer effects by inducing apoptotic and autophagic cell death in GH3 and MMQ cells, rendering it a possible effective adjunctive therapy for pituitary treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Pang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong University, Jinan 250021, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yibing Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Pang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, People's Republic of China
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Han L, Zhao Q, Liang X, Wang X, Zhang Z, Ma Z, Zhao M, Wang A, Liu S. Ubenimex enhances Brd4 inhibition by suppressing HEXIM1 autophagic degradation and suppressing the Akt pathway in glioma cells. Oncotarget 2018; 8:45643-45655. [PMID: 28484091 PMCID: PMC5542215 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of Brd4 by JQ1 treatment showed potential in the treatment of glioma, however, some cases showed low sensitivity of JQ1. In addition, the pre-clinical analysis showed its limitation by demonstrating that transient treatment with JQ1 leads to aggressive tumor development. Thus, an improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying JQ1 is urgently required to design strategies to improve its efficiency, as well as overcome its limitation. HEXIM1 has been confirmed to have an important role in regulating JQ1 sensitivity. In our study, ubenimex, a classical anti-cancer drug showed potential in regulating the JQ1 sensitivity of glioma cells using the WST-1 proliferation assay. Further studies demonstrated that ubenimex inhibited autophagy and downregulated the autophagic degradation of HEXIM1. The role of HEXIM1 in regulating JQ1 sensitivity was verified by the HEXIM1 knockdown. Since ubenimex was verified as an Akt inhibitor, we further studied the role of Akt inhibition in regulating JQ1 sensitivity and migration of glioma cells. Data showed that ubenimex improved the efficiency of JQ1 treatment and suppressed migration both in the in vitro and in vivo xenografts models. The Akt agonist attenuated these effects, pointing to the role of Akt inhibition in JQ1 sensitivity and suppressed migration. Our findings suggest the potential of ubenimex adjuvant treatment to enhance JQ1 efficiency and attenuate parts of its side effect (enhancing tumor aggressive) by regulating the autophagic degradation of HEXIM1 and Akt inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Han
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China.,Department of Neurology, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China.,Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Qingwei Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Xianhong Liang
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqing Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Zhiguo Ma
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Miaoqing Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, P.R China
| | - Aihua Wang
- Department of Neurology, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Liu
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
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Wang X, Liu Y, Wu R, Guo F, Zhang L, Cui M, Wu X, Zhang Y, Liu W. Role of ubenimex as an anticancer drug and its synergistic effect with Akt inhibitor in human A375 and A2058 cells. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:943-953. [PMID: 29503569 PMCID: PMC5826084 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s157480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malignant melanoma (MM) is a malignant tumor produced by changes in melanocytes in the skin or other organs. In the classification of skin tumor mortality, skin melanoma ranks the highest. Ubenimex, an Aminopeptidase N (APN) inhibitor, is now widely used for cancer as an adjunct therapy, conferring antitumor effects. Apoptosis and the induction of autophagy have both been found to be closely associated with tumor cell death. Methods In this study, the A375 and A2058 cell lines were treated with ubenimex. Cell viability was measured using the Cell Counting Kit 8 assay. Apoptosis and autophagic cell death were assessed using flow cytometry and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. Protein expression was assessed by Western blot analyses and immunofluorescence. Matrigel invasion and migration assays were used to examine the metastatic ability of melanoma cells. Results The results revealed that ubenimex inhibited the expression of APN in melanoma cells, which may be connected with the inhibition of metastasis. In addition, it increased melanoma cell death by inducing apoptosis and autophagic cell death. This effect was accompanied by increased levels of p-JNK. Moreover, treatment with ubenimex induced protective Akt activation, and combined use of an Akt inhibitor with ubenimex provided a better effect for inducing tumor cell death. Conclusion As an effective anti-tumor drug in vitro, ubenimex might be an excellent adjunctive therapy for the treatment of melanoma, with greater effects when combined with the use of an Akt inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongde Wu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Guo
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingyu Cui
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangyu Wu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongfei Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
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Han L, Zhang Y, Liu S, Zhao Q, Liang X, Ma Z, Gupta PK, Zhao M, Wang A. Autophagy flux inhibition, G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction by ubenimex in glioma cell lines. Oncotarget 2017; 8:107730-107743. [PMID: 29296201 PMCID: PMC5746103 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate whether ubenimex could work as an anti-tumor drug alone in glioma cells and figure out the underlying potential mechanisms. Ubenimex is widely used as an adjunct therapy in multiple solid cancers. However, it is rarely used to treat glioblastoma. The function of ubenimex in enhancing JQ1 treatment sensitivity of glioma cells by blocking autophagic degradation of HEXIM1 was previously studied. However, the detailed mechanism of autophagy regulation by ubenimex remains unclear. The U87 and U251 cell lines were treated with different doses of ubenimex. Cell viability was measured by using the WST-8 assay. Cell death was assessed using trypan blue staining and flow cytometry. The migration and invasive ability of glioma cells were examined by transwell migration/invasion assay. LC3-GFP-RFP was used to measure autophagic flux. Protein expression was assessed by Western blot analysis. Autophagosomes were evaluated using the transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, cell cycle arrest (PI Staining) was measured by flow cytometry. Results revealed that ubenimex inhibited cell proliferation as well as migration/invasion in glioma cells. Besides, ubenimex increased glioma cell death via autophagic flux inhibition. Meanwhile, ubenimex induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, and this effect was accompanied by the decreased levels of p-Akt, indicating the role of ubenimex in the regulation of glioma cell proliferation and metastasis. To sum up, this study concluded that ubenimex could work as an anti-tumor drug alone in the glioma cells via inhibiting autophagic flux and inducing G2/M arrest as well as apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Han
- Department of Neurology, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China.,Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Yongfei Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Liu
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Qingwei Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Xianhong Liang
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Zhiguo Ma
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Police Hospital, Jinan, P.R. China
| | | | - Miaoqing Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Aihua Wang
- Department of Neurology, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
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Xin Y, Jiang F, Yang C, Yan Q, Guo W, Huang Q, Zhang L, Jiang G. Role of autophagy in regulating the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2017; 143:2147-2157. [DOI: 10.1007/s00432-017-2487-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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