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Wang Q, Gong M, Liu R, Mo J, Bai R, An R, Wang X, Han L, Wang Z, Ma Q, Wu Z, Zhou C. Huaier enhances the tumor-killing effect and reverses gemcitabine-induced stemness by suppressing FoxM1. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 129:155656. [PMID: 38723529 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gemcitabine is the first-line chemotherapy drug that can easily cause chemotherapy resistance. Huaier is a traditional Chinese medicine and shows an antitumor effect in pancreatic cancer, but whether it can enhance the gemcitabine chemotherapeutic response and the potential mechanism remain unknown. PURPOSE This study was performed to explore the effect of Huaier in promoting the tumor-killing effect of gemcitabine and elucidate the possible mechanism in pancreatic cancer. METHODS Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and colony formation assays were used to detect proliferation after different treatments. Protein coimmunoprecipitation was applied to demonstrate protein interactions. Nuclear protein extraction and immunofluorescence were used to confirm the intracellular localization of the proteins. Western blotting was performed to detect cell proliferation-related protein expression or cancer stem cell-associated protein expression. Sphere formation assays and flow cytometry were used to assess the stemness of pancreatic cancer cells. The in vivo xenograft model was used to confirm the inhibitory effect under physiological conditions, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect protein expression. RESULTS Huaier suppressed the proliferation and stem cell-like properties of pancreatic cancer cells. We found that Huaier suppressed the expression of forkhead box protein M1 (FoxM1). In addition, Huaier inhibited FoxM1 function by blocking its nuclear translocation. Treatment with Huaier reversed the stemness induced by gemcitabine in a FoxM1-dependent manner. Furthermore, we verified the above results by an in vivo study, which reached the same conclusion as those in vitro. CONCLUSION Overall, this study illustrates that Huaier augments the tumor-killing effect of gemcitabine through suppressing the stemness induced by gemcitabine in a FoxM1-dependent way. These results indicate that Huaier can be applied to overcome gemcitabine resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Mengyuan Gong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Rujuan Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Jiantao Mo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Ruiping Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Rui An
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Xueni Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Liang Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Qingyong Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Zheng Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
| | - Cancan Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China; Pancreatic Disease Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
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Zhang Z, Shen C, Zhou F. The natural medicinal fungus Huaier promotes the anti-hepatoma efficacy of sorafenib through the mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated autophagic cell death. Med Oncol 2022; 39:221. [PMID: 36175804 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-022-01797-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib (SOR) is currently the first line molecular targeting agent for advanced liver cancer therapy. Unfortunately, the insensitivity of liver cancer patients to SOR relatively limits its effectiveness. Huaier (HUA), a natural medicinal parasitic fungus found on the Sophora japonica Linn., has been widely employed as an adjuvant medication for numerous malignancies due to its potent anti-tumoral properties. This study aims to elucidate the enhancing therapeutic efficacy of HUA on SOR treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and mouse models. The CCK-8, clone formation, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, western blot, bioinformatic analysis, and xenograft tumor assays were performed to evaluate the synergistic anti-hepatoma efficacy and mechanisms of HUA-SOR combination treatment on HCC cells. The results revealed combination treatment further inhibited proliferation, promoted apoptosis, enhanced autophagy of HCC cells, and suppressed the growth of transplanted tumors in mice, compared with either HUA or SOR treatment alone. For Hep3B and Huh7 cells, the optimal synergistic doses of HUA in combination with SOR were 8 mg/mL + 4 μM and 4 mg/mL + 2 μM, with combination index values of 0.646 and 0.588, respectively. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms might be related to biological processes that are mediated by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The combination treatment downregulated the protein expression levels of p-mTOR, p-p70S6K, p62, and upregulated the protein expression levels of Beclin-1 and LC3B-II. The mTOR activator MHY1485 attenuated the effect of HUA-SOR combination by inhibiting autophagy, suggesting HUA may potentiate the sensitivity of HCC cells to SOR by partially inducing mTOR-mediated autophagic cell death. These findings might provide a rationale experimental foundation for clinical applications of HUA with SOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengguang Zhang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Cunsi Shen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pediatric Respiratory Disease, Institute of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Fuqiong Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210022, China.
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Li B, Cao Q, Liu Z. The treatment effects of Trametes Robiniophila Murr against colorectal cancer: A mini-review. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:981516. [PMID: 35991644 PMCID: PMC9381862 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.981516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a worldwide disease threatening people's lives. Surgery and chemotherapy are still the main methods for CRC treatment. However, the side effects and chemotherapeutic drug resistance restrict the application of chemotherapy. Trametes Robiniophila Murr, also known as Huaier, is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for more than 1,600 years. Huaier extracts have promising anti-cancer effects on hepatoma, breast cancer, and gastric cancer. Nowadays, the tumor inhibition of Huaier on CRC has attracted more and more attention. This review mainly provides the possible anti-tumor mechanisms of Huaier for CRC treatment in apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation of tumor cells, preventing epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), weakening proliferation and differentiation of CRC stem cells, decreasing the vessel density in tumor tissues, and enhancing the immune system and chemotherapeutic efficacy. Huaier extract may be a good candidate for CRC treatment, especially when combined with other chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Qian Cao
- Department of Education, Jilin University Second Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Zhuo Liu
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