Nanoformulated 3'-diindolylmethane modulates apoptosis, migration, and angiogenesis in breast cancer cells

Background

It is well-established that specific herbal plants contain natural active ingredients that have demonstrated anti-cancer potential. Therefore, they are considered highly beneficial as a potential adjuvant, alternative or complementary agent in anti-cancer therapy. However, the low chemical stability and limited bioavailability of 3, 3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a plant-derived compound used in clinical settings, limit its therapeutic applications. To overcome this challenge, researchers have focused on developing innovative approaches to improve DIM's biological activity, such as utilizing nanoformulations. Here, we investigated the potential benefits of coating DIM nanoparticles (DIM-NPs) with PEG/chitosan in the treatment of breast cancer. Our results demonstrate the molecular mechanism underlying the activity of DIM-NPs, highlighting their potential as an effective therapeutic strategy for breast cancer treatment.

Methods

DIM-PLGA-PEG/chitosan NPs were synthesised and characterised using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and evaluated the impact of these NPs on two breast cancer cell models.

Results

DIM-NPs had an average diameter of 102.3 nm and a PDI of 0.182. When treated with DIM-NPs for 48 h, both MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells displayed cytotoxicity at a concentration of 6.25 g/mL compared to untreated cells. Furthermore, in MDA-MB-231 cells, treatment with 2.5 μg/mL of DIM-NPs resulted in a significant decrease in cell migration, propagation, and angiogenesis which was further enhanced at 10 μg/mL. In chicken embryos, treatment with 5 μg/mL of DIM-NPs on day 2 led to a significant reduction in angiogenesis. Furthermore, this treatment induced cell death through a regulatory pathway involving the upregulation of Bax and p53, as well as the downregulation of Bcl-2. These results were supported by in-silico analysis of DIM's binding affinity to key proteins involved in this pathway, namely Bax, Bcl-2, and p53.

Conclusion

Our findings show that DIM-NPs induces apoptosis, inhibit migration, and reduce angiogenesis in breast cancer. However, further research using a preclinical cancer model may be necessary to determine the pharmacokinetics of DIM-NPs and ensure their safety and efficacy in vivo.

Neuroprotective effect of 3,3'-diindolylmethane and ɑ-naphthoflavone, aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulators in an experimental model of ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediated signaling pathway is being emerged as a current target for neuromodulation. The present study was conducted to characterize the neuroprotective action of AhR modulators, i.e., 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) and ɑ-naphthoflavone (ANF) in an experimental model of stroke using transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in Wistar rats.

METHODS

The animals were treated with respective AhR modulators via intraperitoneal (i.p) injection 3 hrs after MCAO for 4 days (at 24 h interval). Following transient MCAO, the brain infarct volume, ND scoring, and various neuro behavioural tests were conducted to confirm the ischemic stroke. Further, oxidative stress parameters, inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic mRNA expression were assessed. The histopathological changes in the brain of the rats were assessed using H&E staining and the results obtained were correlated with the molecular parameters.

RESULTS

Treatment with AhR modulators had significantly decreased the brain infarct volume, ND scoring and improved neuro-behivoral deficits in animals following MCAO. A significant decrease was also observed in the oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic mRNA expression in the AhR ligand treated groups. Moreover, a significant improvement was observed in the neuronal damage following MCAO in the treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

AhR pathway modulation may be taken as a valuable therapeutic target for treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS).