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Avcı CB, Sogutlu F, Pinar Ozates N, Shademan B, Gunduz C. Enhanced Anti-cancer Potency Using a Combination of Oleanolic Acid and Maslinic Acid to Control Treatment Resistance in Breast Cancer. Adv Pharm Bull 2023; 13:611-620. [PMID: 37646060 PMCID: PMC10460813 DOI: 10.34172/apb.2023.057] [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: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/ mTOR) pathway is a complex intracellular metabolic pathway that leads to cell growth and tumor proliferation and plays a key role in drug resistance in breast cancer. Therefore, the anti-cancer effects of oleanolic acid (OA), maslinic acid (MA), and their combination were investigated to improve the performance of the treatment strategy. Methods We investigated the effect of OA and MA on cell viability using the WST-1 method. The synergistic effect of the combination was analyzed by isobologram analysis. In addition, the effects of the two compounds, individually and in combination, on apoptosis, autophagy, and the cell cycle were investigated in MCF7 cells. In addition, changes in the expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR genes involved in apoptosis, cell cycle and metabolism were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Results MA, OA, and a combination of both caused G0/G1 arrest. Apoptosis also increased in all treated groups. The autophagosomal LC3-II formation was induced 1.74-fold in the MA-treated group and 3.25-fold in the MA-OA-treated group. The combination treatment resulted in increased expression of genes such as GSK3B, PTEN, CDKN1B and FOXO3 and decreased expression of IGF1, PRKCB and AKT3 genes. Conclusion The results showed that the combination of these two substances showed the highest synergistic effect at the lowest dose and using MA-OA caused cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. The use of combination drugs may reduce the resistance of cancer cells to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cigir Biray Avcı
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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Targeting mTOR to overcome resistance to hormone and CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER-positive breast cancer models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2710. [PMID: 36792625 PMCID: PMC9932145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to therapy remains a major obstacle in cancer management. Although treatment with hormone and CDK4/6 inhibitors is successful in luminal breast cancer, resistance to these treatments is frequent, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies to delay disease progression and improve patient survival. Here, we assessed the mechanisms of acquired resistance using T47D and MCF-7 tamoxifen- and palbociclib-resistant cell-line variants in culture and as xenografts, and patient-derived cells (PDCs) obtained from sensitive or resistant patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). In these models, we analyzed the effect of specific kinase inhibitors on survival, signaling and cellular aggressiveness. Our results revealed that mTOR inhibition is more effective than PI3K inhibition in overcoming resistance, irrespective of PIK3CA mutation status, by decreasing cell proliferation and tumor growth, as well as reducing cell migration and stemness. Moreover, a combination of mTOR and CDK4/6 inhibitors may prevent pathway reactivation downstream of PI3K, interfering with the survival of resistant cells and consequent tumor escape. In conclusion, we highlight the benefits of incorporating mTOR inhibitors into the current therapy in ER + breast cancer. This alternative therapeutic strategy not only enhances the antitumor response but may also delay the emergence of resistance and tumor recurrence.
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Ziasarabi P, Sahebkar A, Ghasemi F. Evaluation of the Effects of Nanomicellar Curcumin, Berberine, and Their Combination with 5-Fluorouracil on Breast Cancer Cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1328:21-35. [PMID: 34981469 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-73234-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Breast cancer is one of the main challenging areas in cancer treatment. Natural compounds such as curcumin and berberine have been approved with anticancer effects and are more favorable to people. Here, we investigated the potential synergistic anticancer effects of these two compounds in combination with the standard cancer drug 5-FU on the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study tested the effects of six different treatments on cancer cell growth: A) control; B) curcumin; C) berberine; D) 5-FU; E) curcumin + berberine; and F) curcumin + berberine + 5-FU. The IC50 concentration of each treatment on cancer cell growth was determined using the MTT assay. Invasiveness of cells grown in 3D culture was analyzed using the transwell chamber technique. Expression levels of genes involved in cancer cell growth and survival (WNT1, APC, AXIN1, CTNNB1, TCF, MTOR, AKT1, MAPK1, PTEN, BIRC5, CCNG1) were evaluated by real-time PCR. RESULTS There was a reduction in cancer cell growth and invasion, and an increase in cellular decomposition across all treatment groups compared to the control with the strongest effects seen in the combined curcumin/berberine/5-FU group. The expression levels of all tested genes were altered in all treatment groups compared to the control, with that of WNT1, CTNNB1, TCF, MTOR, AKT1, BIRC5, and CCND1 showing the most robust changes in the combined curcumin/berberine/5-FU treatment. CONCLUSIONS All treatment groups had anti-growth, anti-invasion, and pro-apoptotic effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cells in culture. In addition, all treatment groups showed changes in the expression of the genes involved in cancer cell growth and survival with the strongest effects found for the curcumin/berberine/5-FU combination. Therefore, curcumin and berberine may improve the anticancer effects of chemotherapy and these natural compounds should undergo further testing as potential adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Ziasarabi
- Laboratorio de Psicobiología, Campus Santiago Ramón y Cajal, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Amirhossein Sahebkar
- Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Faezeh Ghasemi
- Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
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Downregulation of PART1 Inhibits Proliferation and Differentiation of Hep3B Cells by Targeting hsa-miR-3529-3p/FOXC2 Axis. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:7792223. [PMID: 34484336 PMCID: PMC8410447 DOI: 10.1155/2021/7792223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an important subtype of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and microRNA sponges regulate protein-coding gene expression. The lncRNA prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART1) was implicated in the process of several cancer pathogeneses. However, studies on the regulation of PART1 expression and its mechanism in liver cancer are lacking. Methods qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect PART1 levels in liver cancer serums and cell lines. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected using CCK8 assays, cell clones, and transwell assays. Interaction between PART1 and miR-3529-3p and forkhead box protein C2 (FOXC2) was confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter assays. Results We revealed that expression levels of PART1 and FOXC2 are significantly upregulated and the miR-3529-3p expression level significantly decreases in the serum while high expression level of PART1 is positively associated with tumour size, BCLC stage, and TNM stage. shRNA of PART1 can significantly reduce the ability of cell migration and invasion by regulating AKT signalling associated with the reduction of MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that PART1 can sponge miR-3529-3p, which targets FOXC2 in liver cancer cells. The promoting or suppressing effect of PART1 for Hep3B cell proliferation, invasion, and migration is revised by miR-3529-3p mimics and inhibitors. Conclusion Results showed that downregulation of PART1 can partially inhibit proliferation and differentiation by targeting hsa-miR-3529-3p/FOXC2 axis.
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Single-cell immunoblotting resolves estrogen receptor-α isoforms in breast cancer. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254783. [PMID: 34314438 PMCID: PMC8315538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An array of isoforms of the nuclear estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) protein contribute to heterogeneous response in breast cancer (BCa); yet, a single-cell analysis tool that distinguishes the full-length ER-α66 protein from the activation function-1 deficient ER-α46 isoform has not been reported. Specific detection of protein isoforms is a gap in single-cell analysis tools, as the de facto standard immunoassay requires isoform-specific antibody probes. Consequently, to scrutinize hormone response heterogeneity among BCa tumor cells, we develop a precision tool to specifically measure ER-α66, ER- α46, and eight ER-signaling proteins with single-cell resolution in the highly hetero-clonal MCF-7 BCa cell line. With a literature-validated pan-ER immunoprobe, we distinguish ER-α66 from ER-α46 in each individual cell. We identify ER-α46 in 5.5% of hormone-sensitive (MCF-7) and 4.2% of hormone-insensitive (MDA-MB-231) BCa cell lines. To examine whether the single-cell immunoblotting can capture cellular responses to hormones, we treat cells with tamoxifen and identify different sub-populations of ER-α46: (i) ER-α46 induces phospho-AKT at Ser473, (ii) S6-ribosomal protein, an upstream ER target, activates both ER-α66 and ER-α46 in MCF-7 cells, and (iii) ER-α46 partitions MDA-MB-231 subpopulations, which are responsive to tamoxifen. Unlike other single-cell immunoassays, multiplexed single-cell immunoblotting reports–in the same cell–tamoxifen effects on ER signaling proteins and on distinct isoforms of the ER-α protein.
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Liu X, Huang X, Bai Y, Zhang Z, Jin T, Wu H, Liang Z. Next-generation sequencing revealed recurrent ZFPM1 mutations in encapsulated papillary carcinoma of the breast. NPJ Precis Oncol 2021; 5:42. [PMID: 34007008 PMCID: PMC8131604 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-021-00180-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC) of the breast is a rare subtype of tumor. To date, the genetic abnormalities underlying EPC remain elusive. The purpose of this study was to gain further insight into EPC mutation profile. Forty-one EPCs diagnosed from 2015 to 2018 were included. Twenty-six EPCs were submitted to whole-exome sequencing (WES), and a 185 gene-targeted sequencing panel was designed to validate the results of the 26 EPCs that underwent WES and 15 additional cases. Recurrently mutated genes were further confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Our study revealed multiple recurrently mutated genes including PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway genes (PIK3CA, AKT1, ULK1, MAP3K1, MAP2K4, RHOA, and PTEN) (27/41, 65.8%) and chromatin modification genes (ZFPM1, GATA3, CTCF, and KMT2C) (21/41, 51.2%) in EPC. Importantly, somatic ZFPM1 mutations existed in 9/41 (21.9%) of the EPCs. The frequency of ZFPM1 mutations in the EPCs was significantly higher than that of other tumor types. Of the nine ZFPM1 mutations, seven were frameshift mutations, and the remaining two were nonsense mutations. Moreover, a significant concurrence of ZFPM1 and PI3K-AKT-mTOR mutations were revealed in the EPCs. Of note, no TP53 mutations were detected in our EPCs, whereas it was detected in a considerable proportion of the luminal A invasive ductal carcinomas of no special type (IDC-NSTs) from TCGA. We reveal that recurrent somatic ZFPM1 mutation is characteristic of EPC and concurred with mutations in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. The distinctive genetic features of EPC might underlie its special histological structures and indolent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuguang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of Pathology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Bai
- Department of Pathology, Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiwen Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tiefeng Jin
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Research Center, Yanbian University Medical College, Yanji, China
| | - Huanwen Wu
- Department of Pathology, Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhiyong Liang
- Department of Pathology, Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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Wang J, Zhang Y, Xiao Y, Yuan X, Li P, Wang X, Duan Y, Seewaldt VL, Yu D. Boosting immune surveillance by low-dose PI3K inhibitor facilitates early intervention of breast cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:2005-2024. [PMID: 34094666 PMCID: PMC8167687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Prevention of estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer is an unmet challenge, although tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors can successfully decrease the incidence of ER-positive (ER+) breast cancer. PI3K pathway activation has been detected in tamoxifen-resistant ER- breast lesions of patients. Here, we further ratified that the PI3K pathway is significantly activated in premalignant ER- breast lesions compared with paired normal tissues of patients, which prompted our assessment of targeting PI3K on inhibition of ER- mammary tumor initiation and progression. Both genetic knockdown of PIK3CA or intervention with low-doses of a PI3K inhibitor (GDC-0941) prevented the dysplasia phenotype of semi-transformed human ER- mammary epithelial cells in 3-dimensional culture in vitro. Importantly, low-dose GDC-0941 treatment significantly delayed mammary tumor initiation in the MMTV-neu mouse model without exhibiting discernable adverse effects. Interestingly, increased CD8+/GZMB+ T-cells were detected in mammary tissue after GDC-0941 treatment, suggesting enhanced immune surveillance. Mechanistically, elevated expression of potent T-cell chemo-attractants, including CCL5 and CXCL10, were detected both in vitro and in vivo after GDC-0941 treatment. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K significantly increased T-cell recruitment in a CCL5/CXCL10-dependent manner. In human ER- breast cancer, PI3K activation is correlated with significantly reduced CCL5, CXCL10 and CD8A expression, suggesting that the decreased CD8+ T-cell recruitment and escape of immune surveillance may contribute to ER- breast cancer development. In summary, our study indicates that low-dose PI3K inhibitor treatment may intervene early stage ER- breast cancer development by enhancing immune surveillance via CCL5/CXCL10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyang Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
- Current address: Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical SciencesGuangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiangliang Yuan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - Yimin Duan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - Victoria L Seewaldt
- Department of Population Sciences, City of HopeDuarte, California, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of HopeDuarte, California, USA
| | - Dihua Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, Texas, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesHouston, Texas, USA
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Pairawan S, Zhao M, Yuca E, Annis A, Evans K, Sutton D, Carvajal L, Ren JG, Santiago S, Guerlavais V, Akcakanat A, Tapia C, Yang F, Bose PSC, Zheng X, Dumbrava EI, Aivado M, Meric-Bernstam F. First in class dual MDM2/MDMX inhibitor ALRN-6924 enhances antitumor efficacy of chemotherapy in TP53 wild-type hormone receptor-positive breast cancer models. Breast Cancer Res 2021; 23:29. [PMID: 33663585 PMCID: PMC7934277 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-021-01406-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MDM2/MDMX proteins are frequently elevated in hormone receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. We sought to determine the antitumor efficacy of the combination of ALRN-6924, a dual inhibitor of MDM2/MDMX, with chemotherapy in ER+ breast cancer models. METHODS Three hundred two cell lines representing multiple tumor types were screened to confirm the role of TP53 status in ALRN-6924 efficacy. ER+ breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and ZR-75-1) were used to investigate the antitumor efficacy of ALRN-6924 combination. In vitro cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays were performed. Xenograft tumor volumes were measured, and reverse-phase protein array (RPPA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and TUNEL assay of tumor tissues were performed to evaluate the in vivo pharmacodynamic effects of ALRN-6924 with paclitaxel. RESULTS ALRN-6924 was active in wild-type TP53 (WT-TP53) cancer cell lines, but not mutant TP53. On ER+ breast cancer cell lines, it was synergistic in vitro and had enhanced in vivo antitumor activity with both paclitaxel and eribulin. Flow cytometry revealed signs of mitotic crisis in all treatment groups; however, S phase was only decreased in MCF-7 single agent and combinatorial ALRN-6924 arms. RPPA and IHC demonstrated an increase in p21 expression in both combinatorial and single agent ALRN-6924 in vivo treatment groups. Apoptotic assays revealed a significantly enhanced in vivo apoptotic rate in ALRN-6924 combined with paclitaxel treatment arm compared to either single agent. CONCLUSION The significant synergy observed with ALRN-6924 in combination with chemotherapeutic agents supports further evaluation in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Pairawan
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ming Zhao
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Erkan Yuca
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Kurt Evans
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Argun Akcakanat
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Coya Tapia
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Present address: Epizyme Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Priya Subash Chandra Bose
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Zheng
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ecaterina Ileana Dumbrava
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Funda Meric-Bernstam
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Liu L, Yan J, Cao Y, Yan Y, Shen X, Yu B, Tao L, Wang S. Proliferation, migration and invasion of triple negative breast cancer cells are suppressed by berbamine via the PI3K/Akt/MDM2/p53 and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. Oncol Lett 2020; 21:70. [PMID: 33365081 PMCID: PMC7716707 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-associated mortality among women worldwide, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Berbamine (BBM) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of leukopenia without any obvious side effects. Recent reports found that BBM has anti-cancer effects. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of BBM on TNBC cell lines and the underlying molecular mechanism. MDA-MB-231 cells and MCF-7 cells, two TNBC cell lines, were treated with various concentrations of BBM. A series of bioassays including MTT, colony formation, EdU staining, apoptosis, trypan blue dye, wound healing, transwell, ELISA and western blotting assays were performed. The results showed that BBM significantly inhibited cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells (P<0.05; IC50=22.72 µM) and MCF-7 cells (P<0.05; IC50=20.92 µM). BBM (20 µM) decreased the apoptosis ratio (percentage of absorbance compared with the control group) by 28.4±3.3% (P<0.05) in MDA-MB-231 cells, and 62.4±24.6% (P<0.05) in MCF-7 cells. In addition, BBM inhibited cell migration and invasion of TNBC cells. Furthermore, the expression levels of PI3K, phosphorylated-Akt/Akt, COX-2, LOX, MDM2 and mTOR were downregulated by BBM, and the expression of p53 was upregulated by BBM. These results indicated that BBM may suppress the development of TNBC via regulation of the PI3K/Akt/MDM2/p53 and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathways. Therefore, BBM might be used as a drug candidate for the treatment of TNBC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Jiadong Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Ying Cao
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Shen
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Binbin Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Li Tao
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
| | - Shusheng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215600, P.R. China
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Abdallah ME, El-Readi MZ, Althubiti MA, Almaimani RA, Ismail AM, Idris S, Refaat B, Almalki WH, Babakr AT, Mukhtar MH, Abdalla AN, Idris OF. Tamoxifen and the PI3K Inhibitor: LY294002 Synergistically Induce Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells. Molecules 2020; 25:E3355. [PMID: 32722075 PMCID: PMC7436112 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is considered as one of the most aggressive types of cancer. Acquired therapeutic resistance is the major cause of chemotherapy failure in breast cancer patients. To overcome this resistance and to improve the efficacy of treatment, drug combination is employed as a promising approach for this purpose. The synergistic cytotoxic, apoptosis inducing, and cell cycle effects of the combination of LY294002 (LY), a phosphatidylinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, with the traditional cytotoxic anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen (TAM) in breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were investigated. LY and TAM exhibited potent cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells with IC50 values 0.87 µM and 1.02 µM. The combination of non-toxic concentration of LY and TAM showed highly significant synergistic interaction as observed from isobologram (IC50: 0.17 µM, combination index: 0.18, colony formation: 9.01%) compared to untreated control. The percentage of early/late apoptosis significantly increased after treatment of MCF-7 cells with LY and TAM combination: 40.3%/28.3% (p < 0.001), compared to LY single treatment (19.8%/11.4%) and TAM single treatment (32.4%/5.9%). In addition, LY and TAM combination induced the apoptotic genes Caspase-3, Caspase-7, and p53, as well as p21 as cell cycle promotor, and significantly downregulated the anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 and survivin. The cell cycle assay revealed that the combination induced apoptosis by increasing the pre-G1: 28.3% compared to 1.6% of control. pAKT and Cyclin D1 protein expressions were significantly more downregulated by the combination treatment compared to the single drug treatment. The results suggested that the synergistic cytotoxic effect of LY and TAM is achieved by the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through cyclin D1, pAKT, caspases, and Bcl-2 signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed E. Abdallah
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.A.); (M.A.A.); (R.A.A.); (A.T.B.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Mahmoud Zaki El-Readi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.A.); (M.A.A.); (R.A.A.); (A.T.B.); (M.H.M.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut 71524, Egypt
| | - Mohammad Ahmad Althubiti
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.A.); (M.A.A.); (R.A.A.); (A.T.B.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Riyad Adnan Almaimani
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.A.); (M.A.A.); (R.A.A.); (A.T.B.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Amar Mohamed Ismail
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum 11121, Sudan; (A.M.I.); (O.F.I.)
| | - Shakir Idris
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 7607, Saudi Arabia; (S.I.); (B.R.)
| | - Bassem Refaat
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 7607, Saudi Arabia; (S.I.); (B.R.)
| | - Waleed Hassan Almalki
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdullatif Taha Babakr
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.A.); (M.A.A.); (R.A.A.); (A.T.B.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Mohammed H. Mukhtar
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; (M.E.A.); (M.A.A.); (R.A.A.); (A.T.B.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Ashraf N. Abdalla
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute, National Center for Research, Khartoum 2404, Sudan
| | - Omer Fadul Idris
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum 11121, Sudan; (A.M.I.); (O.F.I.)
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Tian W, Wang ZW, Yuan BM, Bao YG. Calycosin induces apoptosis in osteosarcoma cell line via ERβ‑mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Mol Med Rep 2020; 21:2349-2356. [PMID: 32236598 PMCID: PMC7185272 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11039] [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: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that calycosin, a natural phytoestrogen which is structurally similar to estrogen, inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in estrogen-dependent cancer types via the estrogen receptor (ER)β-induced inhibition of PI3K/Akt. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of calycosin on human osteosarcoma (OS), and to examine the molecular mechanisms associated with ERβ. Human OS MG-63 cells were treated with various concentrations of calycosin, and MTT and flow cytometry assays were used to assess the effects of calycosin on cellular proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, protein expression levels of ERβ, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K, p-Akt, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP) and cleaved caspase-3 were evaluated by western blot analysis. The present results suggested that calycosin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in MG-63 cells. Furthermore, increased ERβ expression was detected in OS MG-63 cells treated with calycosin, and an ERβ inhibitor (PHTPP) reversed calycosin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Moreover, phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt were significantly downregulated after calycosin treatment, whereas PHTPP reversed their phosphorylation. ERβ-mediated PI3K/Akt downstream signaling pathways were found to influence the activity of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 and caspase-3. Thus, the present results indicated that calycosin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in OS MG-63 cells, and that these effects were mediated by ERβ-dependent inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tian
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 028007, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Wei Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 028007, P.R. China
| | - Bao-Ming Yuan
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 028007, P.R. China
| | - Yong-Ge Bao
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 028007, P.R. China
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