Osthole attenuates angiogenesis in an orthotopic mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma via the downregulation of nuclear factor-κB and vascular endothelial growth factor

Yu-Ping-Feng-San improve the immunosuppression of microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma by promoting the maturation of DCs through the JAK2-STAT3 pathway

Yu-Ping-Feng-San (YPF) is a famous classical Chinese medicine formula known for its ability to boost immunity. YPF has been applied to enhance the immune status of tumor patients in clinical practice. However, there is still a lack of research on its immune regulatory effects and mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment. This study was designed to investigate the effects and mechanism of YPF on improving the immune suppression state of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) microenvironment. In an orthotopic mouse model of HCC, YPF improved the immune microenvironment of HCC immunosuppression, enhanced the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), promoted the release of IL-12, and decreased the presence of JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3, and p-STAT3 proteins in both tumor tissue and paracancerous tissues. YPF also could promote the maturation and reduce the activation of JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3, and p-STAT3 proteins of mouse bone marrow-derived DCs induced by culture medium or tumor supernatant in vitro. Transient transfection of siRNA-STAT3 with DCs resulted in an increase in its maturation and its secretion of IL-12. On the whole, these combined effects of YPF served to ameliorate the HCC immune suppression microenvironment, which conducive to immune cells play the role of immune surveillance and killing liver cancer cells. The mechanisms of these combined effects were, at least in part, related to its inhibition of the activated JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway in DCs within the HCC microenvironment.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents in goupi plaster prepared by various extraction methods using UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS and UPLC-MS/MS

Goupi plaster, a representative preparation of black plaster, has demonstrated promising effects in treating knee osteoarthritis. However, high temperature used in traditional frying extraction may cause decomposition of its effective components, thus limiting the efficacy. This study aimed to explore the scientific nature of the traditional preparation technology of Goupi plaster, and to compare the effects of different extraction methods on the types of chemical components and the content of index components. The UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS and UPLC-MS/MS technologies which have high efficiency, sensitivity and accuracy, were used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the chemical components of Goupi plaster under different preparation processes. The results show that the extraction solvent approach is different from the traditional frying extraction method, and has a positive effect. However, the mechanism of action of Goupi plaster is complex and its pharmacological effects are diverse. Future studies should explore whether it necessary to change the frying extraction method. This experiment provides a theoretical basis that will guide further scientific discussion and research into the frying extraction of Goupi plaster.

Evaluation of models to predict prognosis in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with TACE combined with apatinib

BACKGROUND

The HAP, Six-and-Twelve, Up to Seven, and ALBI scores have been substantiated as reliable prognostic markers in patients presenting with intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. Given this premise, our research aims to assess the predictive efficacy of these models in patients with intermediate and advanced HCC receiving a combination of TACE and Apatinib. Additionally, we have conducted a meticulous comparative analysis of these four scoring systems to discern their respective predictive capacities and efficacies in combined therapy.

METHODS

Performing a retrospective analysis on the clinical data from 200 patients with intermediate and advanced HCC, we studied those who received TACE combined with Apatinib at the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China between June 2018 and December 2022. To identify the factors affecting survival, the study performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, with calculations of four different scores: HAP, Six-and-Twelve, Up to Seven, and ALBI. Lastly, Harrell's C-index was employed to compare the prognostic abilities of these scores.

RESULTS

Cox proportional hazards model results revealed that the ALBI score, presence of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT, )and tumor size are independent determinants of prognostic survival. The Kaplan-Meier analyses showed significant differences in survival rates among patients classified by the HAP, Six-and-Twelve, Up to Seven, and ALBI scoring methods. Of the evaluated systems, the HAP scoring demonstrated greater prognostic precision, with a Harrell's C-index of 0.742, surpassing the alternative models (P < 0.05). In addition, an analysis of the area under the AU-ROC curve confirms the remarkable superiority of the HAP score in predicting short-term survival outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms the predictive value of HAP, Six-and-Twelve, Up to Seven, and ALBI scores in intermediate to advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving combined Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) and Apatinib therapy. Notably, the HAP model excels in predicting outcomes for this specific HCC subgroup.

Osthole inhibits the migration and invasion of highly metastatic breast cancer cells by suppressing ITGα3/ITGβ5 signaling

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in breast cancer patients. Osthole, as an active compound detected in the traditional Chinese medicine Wenshen Zhuanggu Formula, has shown a promising anti-metastatic activity in human breast cancer cells, but the underlying mechanisms remain ambiguous. In this study we elucidated the anti-metastatic mechanisms of osthole in highly metastatic breast cancer cells and a zebrafish xenograft model. We showed that the expression of integrin α3 (ITGα3) and integrin β5 (ITGβ5) was upregulated in highly metastatic MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-231BO breast cancer cell lines but was downregulated in poorly metastatic MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, which might be the key targets of osthole's anti-metastatic action. Furthermore, we showed that knockdown of ITGα3 and ITGβ5 attenuated breast cancer cell migration and invasion possibly via suppression of FAK/Src/Rac1 pathway, whereas overexpression of ITGα3 and ITGβ5 caused the opposite effects. Consistently, osthole significantly inhibited breast cancer metastasis by downregulating ITGα3/ITGβ5 signaling in vitro and in vivo. These results provide new evidence that osthole may be developed as a candidate therapeutic drug for metastatic breast cancer.

Yupingfeng Granule Improves Th2-Biased Immune State in Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma through TSLP-DC-OX40L Pathway

The tumor immunological microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the T-helper (Th) 2 dominant inhibition state. Improving the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment represents an important strategy for HCC treatment. TSLP-OX40L pathway is a target to improve Th2 immunosuppression. Yupingfeng granule (YPF) is clinically used to effectively improve the immune status of HCC. In this study, YPF increased the percentage of mature dendritic cells (DCs) and decreased levels of TSLP, TSLPR, and OX40L in tumor and adjacent tissues of the orthotopic-HCC mice model. This occurs together with the decreased levels of Th2 cytokines and increased levels of Th1 cytokines and Th1/Th2 ratio. In vitro experiment showed that YPF not only increased the percentage of mature DCs and stimulated IL-12 secretion in DCs but also reduced the positive rate of OX40L expression, decreased the proportion of CD4⁺ IL-13⁺ T cells, increased levels of Th1 cytokines, and decreased levels of Th2 cytokines from TSLP-treated DCs. In summary, these findings demonstrated that YPF promoted the maturation of DCs, decreased OX40L in TSLP-induced DCs, and improved the immunosuppressive state of Th2 in HCC microenvironment. Our results suggest that the mechanism underlying the improving effect of YPF on the immunosuppression is related to the DC-mediated TSLP-OX40L pathway.

Anti-Tumor Effects of Osthole on Different Malignant Tissues: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms

Cancer management and/or treatment require a comprehensive understanding of the molecular and signaling pathways involved. Recently, much attention has been directed to these molecular and signaling pathways, and it has been suggested that a number of biomolecules/players involved in such pathways, such as PI3K/Akt, NF-kB, STAT, and Nrf2 contribute to the progression, invasion, proliferation, and metastasis of malignant cells. Synthetic anti-tumor agents and chemotherapeutic drugs have been a mainstay in cancer therapy and are widely used to suppress the progression and, hopefully, halt the proliferation of malignant cells. However, these agents have some undesirable side-effects and, therefore, naturally-occurring compounds with high potency and fewer side-effects are now of great interest. Osthole is a plant-derived chemical compound that can inhibit the proliferation of malignant cells and provide potent anti-cancer effects in various tissues. Therefore, in this review, we presented the main findings concerning the potential anti-tumor effects of osthole and its derivatives and described possible molecular mechanisms by which osthole may suppress malignant cell proliferation in different tissues.

Antiangiogenic Effects of Coumarins against Cancer: From Chemistry to Medicine

Angiogenesis, the process of formation and recruitment of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, plays an important role in the development of cancer. Therefore, the use of antiangiogenic agents is one of the most critical strategies for the treatment of cancer. In addition, the complexity of cancer pathogenicity raises the need for multi-targeting agents. Coumarins are multi-targeting natural agents belonging to the class of benzopyrones. Coumarins have several biological and pharmacological effects, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticoagulant, anxiolytic, analgesic, and anticancer properties. Several reports have shown that the anticancer effect of coumarins and their derivatives are mediated through targeting angiogenesis by modulating the functions of vascular endothelial growth factor as well as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, which are involved in cancer pathogenesis. In the present review, we focus on the antiangiogenic effects of coumarins and related structure-activity relationships with particular emphasis on cancer.

Yu Ping Feng San Exert Anti-Angiogenesis Effects through the Inhibition of TSLP-STAT3 Signaling Pathways in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Clinically, Yu ping feng san (YPFS) has been extensively used as a medication for treating immune deficiency, and YPFS is combined with chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Previous research has shown that YPFS has a therapeutic effect on HCC by improving the immunosuppressive state of the liver cancer microenvironment. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of YPFS on angiogenesis of HCC.

Methods

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to certify the composition of YPFS. An orthotopic transplanted model of murine HCC was entrenched. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the changes of the microvessel density (MVD). The MTT assay was used to detect the cell viability. ELISA was performed to analyze the expression of related factors. Western blot was used to analyze the protein expression. Tube formation assay was used to analyze the anti-angiogenic efficiency.

Results

YPFS significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight, thus exerted the growth inhibitory effect. The level of MVD and VEGF was obviously decreased in YPFS-treated HCC-bearing mice, and the YPFS treatment also reduced the VEGF level in Hepa1-6 cells. Further study revealed that the expression of TSLP/TSLPR and p-STAT3/STAT3 was decreased by YPFS. The level of MVD and VEGF and the expression of TSLP/TSLPR and p-STAT3/STAT3 in tumor tissue and Hepa1-6 cells were suppressed by incubation with the anti-TSLP antibody, whereas treatment with the anti-TSLP antibody in YPFS-treated cells did not cause further significant inhibition compared with the cells treated only with YPFS. More importantly, YPFS inhibited proliferation, expression of p-STAT3/STAT3, and tube formation of HUVECs induced by TSLP.

Conclusions

These results indicated that YPFS attenuated the activation of the TSLP-STAT3 signaling pathway by inhibiting the immune-related factor-TSLP, thereby inhibiting the formation of hepatic microvessels and exerting an anti-HCC effect.