Safflower polysaccharide induces NSCLC cell apoptosis by inhibition of the Akt pathway

A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Triple Negative Breast Cancer and the Pharmacological Mechanisms

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Conventional treatment options for TNBC often have limited efficacy and significant side effects. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown promising results in the treatment of TNBC. TCMs include herb combinations that have synergistic effects to regulate homeostasis in the body, reduce tumor resistance, and improve patient quality of life. At present, three main TCM methods are used to treat TNBC in the clinic: strengthening the body's resistance, dispelling phlegm, and removing cancer toxins. This paper reviews the theories and mechanisms of each in TNBC treatment. The method of strengthening the body's resistance emphasizes enhancing the body's original Qi to fight against pathogenic factors; the method of dispelling phlegm seeks to eliminate phlegm stagnation and alleviate the burden on affected organs; the method of removing cancer toxins focuses on detoxification and detumescence to remove the toxic elements associated with TNBC. Although these methods treat TNBC from different etiologies, they have achieved good therapeutic effects and represent an important academic approach: That is, to cure the disease with a comprehensive view of the body and restore the balance of Yin and Yang. This knowledge lays a foundation for the future development and reasonable application of TCM in the clinic.

Preparation and characterization of aspirin-fucoidan complex and its admirable antitumor activity on human non-small cell lung cancer cells

The purpose of this work is to prepare a novel acetylated derivative of Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan (UPFUC) with admirable antitumor activity. Fucoidan was first acetylated by acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin, ASA) to form the ASA-UPFUC complex. The antitumor efficacy results stated that ASA-UPFUC inhibited the proliferation of human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 49.09 μg/mL, 50.20 % lower than that of UPFUC. Importantly, the acetylation process had no adverse effects on the backbone structure of UPFUC. Simultaneously, ASA-UPFUC demonstrated a larger charge density than UPFUC, leading to enhanced solubility, improved surface charge effects, and a greater potential for exerting biological activity. Consequently, ASA-UPFUC increased the formation of alkyl and hydrogen bonds with tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptors DR4 and DR5, thereby effectively stimulating the generation of cellular reactive oxygen species, diminishing mitochondrial membrane potential, suppressing nuclear factor κB (NFκB) p65 phosphorylation, enhancing the contents of Bax and cleaved caspase 3, and reducing the level of Bcl-2. The collective effects ultimately triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, leading to apoptosis in A549 cells. The findings support the potential utilization of ASA-UPFUC as a novel dietary additive for human lung cancer chemoprevention.

Harnessing natural product polysaccharides against lung cancer and revisit its novel mechanism

The incidence and mortality of lung cancer are on the rise worldwide. However, the benefit of clinical treatment in lung cancer is limited. Owning to important sources of drug development, natural products have received constant attention around the world. Main ingredient polysaccharides in natural products have been found to have various activities in pharmacological research. In recent years, more and more scientists are looking for the effects and mechanisms of different natural product polysaccharides on lung cancer. In this review, we focus on the following aspects: First, natural product polysaccharides have been discovered to directly suppress the growth of lung cancer cells, which can be effective in limiting tumor progression. Additionally, polysaccharides have been considered to enhance immune function, which can play a pivotal role in fighting lung cancer. Lastly, polysaccharides can improve the efficacy of drugs in lung cancer treatment by regulating the gut microbiota. Overall, the research of natural product polysaccharides in the treatment of lung cancer is a promising area that has the potential to lead to new clinical treatments. With better understanding, natural product polysaccharides have the potential to become important components of future lung cancer treatments.

Research Progress on the Anticancer Activity of Plant Polysaccharides

Tumor is a serious threat to human health, with extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. However, tumor treatment is challenging, and the development of antitumor drugs has always been a significant research focus. Plant polysaccharides are known to possess various biological activities. They have many pharmacological properties such as immunomodulation, antitumor, antiviral, antioxidative, antithrombotic, and antiradiation effects, reduction of blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and protection from liver injury. Among these effects, the antitumor effect of plant polysaccharides has been widely studied. Plant polysaccharides can inhibit tumor proliferation and growth by inhibiting tumor cell invasion and metastasis, inducing cell apoptosis, affecting the cell cycle, and regulating the tumor microenvironment. They also have the characteristics of safety, high efficiency, and low toxicity, which can alleviate, to a certain extent, the adverse reactions caused by traditional tumor treatment methods such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Therefore, this paper systematically summarizes the direct antitumor effects of plant polysaccharides, their regulatory effects on the tumor microenvironment, and intervening many common high-incidence tumors in other ways. It also provides data support for the administration of plant polysaccharides in modern tumor drug therapy, enabling the identification of new targets and development of new drugs for tumor therapy.

Purification, Characterization and Bioactivities of Polysaccharides Extracted from Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Polysaccharides are the main bioactive components in safflower. In this study, safflower polysaccharides (SPs) were extracted by ultrasonic assisted extraction, and four purified safflower polysaccharide fractions (named SSP1, SSP2, SSP3, and SSP4, respectively) were obtained. The physicochemical properties and in vitro physiological activities of the four fractions were investigated. The molecular weights (M_W) of the SSPs were 38.03 kDa, 43.17 kDa, 54.49 kDa, and 76.92 kDa, respectively. Glucuronic acid, galactose acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose were the main monosaccharides. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated that the polysaccharides had α- and β-glycosidic bonds. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that SSP1 had 6 different types of glycosidic bonds, while SSP3 had 8 different types. SSP3 exhibited relatively higher ABTS⁺ scavenging activity, Fe⁺³-reduction activity, and antiproliferative activity. The results will offer a theoretical framework for the use of SPs in the industry of functional foods and medications.

Pharmacological Activities of Safflower Yellow and Its Clinical Applications

Background. Safflower is an annual herb used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It consists of the dried flowers of the Compositae plant safflower. It is found in the central inland areas of Asia and is widely cultivated throughout the country. Its resistance to cold weather and droughts and its tolerance and adaptability to salts and alkalis are strong. Safflower has the effect of activating blood circulation, dispersing blood stasis, and relieving pain. A natural pigment named safflower yellow (SY) can be extracted from safflower petals. Chemically, SY is a water-soluble flavonoid and the main active ingredient of safflower. The main chemical constituents, pharmacological properties, and clinical applications of SY are reviewed in this paper, thereby providing a reference for the use of safflower in preventing and treating human diseases. Methods. The literature published in recent years was reviewed, and the main chemical components of SY were identified based on chemical formula and structure. The pharmacological properties of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), SYA, SYB, and anhydrosafflor yellow B (AHSYB) were reviewed. Results. The main chemical constituents of SY included HSYA, SYA, SYB, and AHSYB. These ingredients have a wide range of pharmacological activities. SY has protective effects on the heart, kidneys, liver, nerves, lungs, and brain. Moreover, its effects include, but are not limited to, improving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, abirritation, regulating lipids, and treating cancer and diabetic complications. HSYA is widely recognised as an effective ingredient to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Conclusion. SY has a wide range of pharmacological activities, among which improving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the most significant.

Hypoxic targeting and activating TH-302 loaded transcatheter arterial embolization microsphere

The tumor-derived and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) induced hypoxia microenvironment is closely related to the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, hypoxia-activated prodrug TH-302 loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based TACE microspheres were prepared to treat HCC through localized and sustained drug delivery. TH-302 microspheres with three different sizes were fabricated by an oil-in-water emulsion solvent evaporation method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectra (IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and drug release profiles. The in vitro antitumor potential was firstly evaluated in an HepG2 cell model under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Then, a VX-2 tumor-bearing rabbit model was established and performed TACE to investigate the in vivo drug tissue distribution and antitumor efficiency of TH-302 microspheres. Blood routine examination and histopathological examinations were also conducted to evaluate the safety of TH-302 microspheres. TH-302 microspheres with particle size 75–100 μm, 100–200 μm, and 200–300 μm were prepared and characterized by sphere morphology and sustained drug release up to 360 h. Compared with TH-302, the microspheres exhibited higher cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle S phase retardation in HepG2 cells under hypoxic conditions. The microspheres also displayed continuous drug release in the liver tissue and better anti-tumor efficiency compared with TH-302 injection and lipiodol. Meanwhile, no serious toxicity appeared in the duration of treatment. Therefore, TH-302 microspheres showed to be feasible and effective for TACE and hold promise in the clinical for HCC chemoembolization therapy.

Inactivation of AKT/NF‑κB signaling by eurycomalactone decreases human NSCLC cell viability and improves the chemosensitivity to cisplatin

The high activation of protein kinase B (AKT)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling has often been associated with the induction of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell survival and resistance to cisplatin, which is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of NSCLC. The inhibition of AKT/NF-κB can potentially be used as a molecular target for cancer therapy. Eurycomalactone (ECL), a quassinoid from Eurycoma longifolia Jack, has previously been revealed to exhibit strong cytotoxic activity against the human NSCLC A549 cell line, and can inhibit NF-κB activity in TNF-α-activated 293 cells stably transfected with an NF-κB luciferase reporter. The present study was the first to investigate whether ECL inhibits the activation of AKT/NF-κB signaling, induces apoptosis and enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin in human NSCLC cells. The anticancer activity of ECL was evaluated in two NSCLC cell lines, A549 and Calu-1. ECL decreased the viability and colony formation ability of both cell lines by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through the activation of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, as well as the reduction of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and survivin. In addition, ECL treatment suppressed the levels of AKT (phospho Ser473) and NF-κB (phospho Ser536). Notably, ECL significantly enhanced cisplatin sensitivity in both assessed NSCLC cell lines. The combination treatment of cisplatin and ECL promoted cell apoptosis more effectively than cisplatin alone, as revealed by the increased cleaved caspase-3, but decreased Bcl-xL and survivin levels. Exposure to cisplatin alone induced the levels of phosphorylated-AKT and phosphorylated-NF-κB, whereas co-treatment with ECL inhibited the cisplatin-induced phosphorylation of AKT and NF-κB, leading to an increased sensitization effect on cisplatin-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, ECL exhibited an anticancer effect and sensitized NSCLC cells to cisplatin through the inactivation of AKT/NF-κB signaling. This finding provides a rationale for the combined use of chemotherapy drugs with ECL to improve their efficacy in NSCLC treatment.

Modulation of Apoptosis by Plant Polysaccharides for Exerting Anti-Cancer Effects: A Review

Cancer has become a significant public health problem with high disease burden and mortality. At present, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the main means of treating cancer, but they have shown serious safety problems. The severity of this problem has caused further attention and research on effective and safe cancer treatment methods. Polysaccharides are natural products with anti-cancer activity that are widely present in a lot of plants, and many studies have found that inducing apoptosis of cancer cells is one of their important mechanisms. Therefore, this article reviews the various ways in which plant polysaccharides promote apoptosis of cancer cells. The major apoptotic pathways involved include the mitochondrial pathway, the death receptor pathway, and their upstream signal transduction such as MAPK pathway, PI3K/AKT pathway, and NF-κB pathway. Moreover, the paper has also been focused on the absorption and toxicity of plant polysaccharides with reference to extant literature, making the research more scientific and comprehensive. It is hoped that this review could provide some directions for the future development of plant polysaccharides as anticancer drugs in pharmacological experiments and clinical researches.

Safflower polysaccharide inhibits the development of tongue squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Safflower polysaccharide (SPS) is one of the most important active components of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), which has been confirmed to have the immune-regulatory function and antitumor effect. This study aimed to explore the effects of safflower polysaccharide (SPS) on tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC).

METHODS

HN-6 cells were treated with 5 μg/mL cisplatin and various concentrations of SPS (0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64, and 1.28 mg/mL), and cell proliferation was measured. After treatment with 5 μg/mL cisplatin and 0.64 mg/mL SPS, the induction of apoptosis and the protein and mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, COX-2, and cleaved caspase-3 in HN-6 cells were quantified. In addition, HN-6 cells were implanted into mice to establish an in vivo tumor xenograft model. Animals were randomly assigned to three groups: SPS treatment, cisplatin treatment, and the model group (no treatment). The body weight, tumor volume, and tumor weight were measured, and the expression of the above molecules was determined.

RESULTS

SPS treatment (0.02-0.64 mg/mL) for 24-72 h inhibited HN-6 cell proliferation. In addition, 0.64 mg/mL SFP markedly induced apoptosis in HN-6 cells and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Compared with the control group, the expression of Bcl-2 and COX-2 was markedly reduced by SPS treatment, whereas the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 was increased. Moreover, SPS significantly inhibited the growth of the tumor xenograft, with similar changes in the expression of Bcl-2, COX-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 in the tumor xenograft to the in vitro analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that SPS may inhibit TSCC development through regulation of Bcl-2, COX-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 expression.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) polysaccharide attenuates cellular apoptosis in steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head by targeting caspase-3-dependent signaling pathway

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a purified polysaccharide (SPS) from the safflower in a cellular model of steroid-associated necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH), which was established in primary murine osteoblasts suffering dexamethasone pretreatment. After treatment with SPS (25, 50 and 100 μg/ml), the degree of necrosis induced by dexamethasone was significantly reduced in osteoblasts as evidenced by an increase of cell viability and a decrease of apoptosis in osteoblasts. Furthermore, pretreatment with SPS (25, 50 and 100 μg/ml) significantly attenuated the activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP relative to the model control cells. The addition of caspase-3 inhibitor (Z-DEVD-FMK) in dexamethasone-treated osteoblasts resulted in the inefficiency of SPS for inhibiting cellular apoptosis. Dose-dependent increases in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, collagen synthesis and mineralization were also observed in SPS-treated osteoblasts at 72 h. The present study demonstrates that SPS may alleviate dexamethasone associated osteonecrosis by inhibiting caspsae-3-mediated apoptosis and may provide an alternative treatment for SANFH.

Herbal medicine for hand-foot syndrome induced by fluoropyrimidines: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of herbal medicine for the prevention and management of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) induced by fluoropyrimidines and to identify herbs associated with HFS alleviation for further research. The PubMed, Cochrane, Springer, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched up to May 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated herbal medicine for relieving HFS in patients undergoing fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. Study evaluation and synthesis methods were in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook, and data were analyzed using RevMan 5.3. In total, 35 RCTs (2,668 participants) were included. Meta-analysis showed that the addition of herbal medicine significantly reduced the incidences of all-grade and high-grade HFS. The total effective rate and complete remission rate of HFS patients increased significantly with herbal medicine arm. Further sensitivity analysis identified Paeoniae Radix Alba, Carthami Flos, Cinnamomi Ramulus, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma as being consistently associated with significant reductions in HFS incidence without important heterogeneity. However, the lack of blinding in most studies may have led to overestimation of these effects. More high-quality RCTs and experimental research are needed to confirm and investigate the efficacy of the herbs identified in this study.

A microemulsion co-loaded with Schizandrin A-docetaxel enhances esophageal carcinoma treatment through overcoming multidrug resistance

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the major underlying cause of the low 5-year survival rate of esophageal carcinoma. In this study, we developed a novel microemulsion system (SD-ME) co-loaded with docetaxel (DTX) and Schizandrin A, a potent chemotherapeutic agent and a potential drug resistance modulator, respectively. In the physicochemical characterization studies, SD-ME displayed a well-defined spherical shape and size (56.62 ± 4.16 nm), a narrow polydispersity index (PDI, 0.132 ± 0.002), and a negative surface charge (−19.81 ± 3.11 mv). In the cellular uptake studies, SD-ME with a DTX concentration of 30 μg/mL exhibited a 3.9-fold enhancement of DTX internalization in DTX-resistant EC109 (EC109/DDR) cells in comparison to that observed for EC109 cells, and the mechanisms were associated with reducing P-gp expression and inhibiting P-gp ATPease. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of DTX and SD-ME against EC109/DDR cells were 40.57 ± 0.39 and 3.59 ± 0.06 μg/mL, respectively. Likewise, the apoptotic rate of EC109/DDR treated with SD-ME increased up to 20-fold compared to that observed with free DTX. In anticancer efficacy studies in vivo, SD-ME markedly retarded the tumor growth of nude mice bearing EC109/DDR tumor xenografts compared with D-ME and free DTX throughout the duration of study. Consequently, mice treated with SD-ME had the highest survival rate (37.5%) during the observation period (70 days). In addition, there were no apparent side effects after the administration of SD-ME. Overall, our study provides evidence for SD-ME as an effective drug delivery system for enhanced MDR tumor treatment.

Uptake of intraperitoneally administrated triple helical β-glucan for antitumor activity in murine tumor models

Triple helical β-glucan (THG) was captured by macrophages and degraded into small fragments to activate neutrophils, leading to apoptosis of tumor cells.