Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation Increases Removal of the ATXN3 Polyglutamine Repeat, Reducing Cerebellar Degeneration and Improving Motor Dysfunction in Murine Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a well-known antioxidant, has been explored as a treatment in several neurodegenerative diseases, but its utility in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) has not been explored. Herein, the protective effect of CoQ10 was examined using a transgenic mouse model of SCA3 onset. These results demonstrated that a diet supplemented with CoQ10 significantly improved murine locomotion, revealed by rotarod and open-field tests, compared with untreated controls. Additionally, a histological analysis showed the stratification of cerebellar layers indistinguishable from that of wild-type littermates. The increased survival of Purkinje cells was reflected by the reduced abundance of TUNEL-positive nuclei and apoptosis markers of activated p53, as well as lower levels of cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase. CoQ10 effects were related to the facilitation of the autophagy-mediated clearance of mutant ataxin-3 protein, as evidenced by the increased expression of heat shock protein 27 and autophagic markers p62, Beclin-1 and LC3II. The expression of antioxidant enzymes heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and 2 (SOD2), but not of glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPx2), were restored in 84Q SCA3 mice treated with CoQ10 to levels even higher than those measured in wild-type control mice. Furthermore, CoQ10 treatment also prevented skeletal muscle weight loss and muscle atrophy in diseased mice, revealed by significantly increased muscle fiber area and upregulated muscle protein synthesis pathways. In summary, our results demonstrated biochemical and pharmacological bases for the possible use of CoQ10 in SCA3 therapy.

9-O-Terpenyl-Substituted Berberrubine Derivatives Suppress Tumor Migration and Increase Anti-Human Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Activity

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of death in humans worldwide. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer cases and is often diagnosed at a late stage. Among patients with NSCLC, 50% die within 1 year after diagnosis. Even with clinical intervention, the 5-year survival rate is only approximately 20%. Therefore, the development of an advanced therapeutic strategy or novel agent is urgently required for treating NSCLC. Berberine exerts therapeutic activity toward NSCLC; therefore, its activity as an antitumor agent needs to be explored further. In this study, three terpenylated-bromide derivatives of berberrubine were synthesized and their anti-NSCLC activities were evaluated. Each derivative had higher anti-NSCLCs activity than berberrubine and berberine. Among them, 9-O-gernylberberrubine bromide (B4) and 9-O-farnesylberberrubine bromide (B5) showed greater growth inhibition, cell-cycle regulation, in vitro tumorigenesis suppression, and tumor migration reduction. In addition, some degree of apoptosis and autophagic flux blocking was noted in the cells under B4 and B5 treatments. Our study demonstrates that the berberrubine derivatives, B4 and B5, exhibit impressive anti-NSCLC activities and have potential for use as chemotherapeutic agents against NSCLC.

Piperlongumine, a Potent Anticancer Phytotherapeutic, Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis In Vitro and In Vivo through the ROS/Akt Pathway in Human Thyroid Cancer Cells

Simple Summary

There is no effective treatment currently available for patients with anaplastic, recurrent papillary, or follicular thyroid cancers. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to hold promise as a new therapeutic strategy for multiple human cancers. However, studies on ROS inducers for human thyroid cancer treatment are scarce. This study assesses the anticancer activity and the detailed downstream mechanisms of piperlongumine, a ROS inducer, in human thyroid cancer cells. We demonstrate that piperlongumine inhibits cell proliferation, regulates the cell cycle, and induces cellular apoptosis in various types of human thyroid cancer cells. The antihuman thyroid cancer activity of piperlongumine was through ROS induction, and it further suppressed the downstream Akt signaling pathway to elevate mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. A mouse xenograft study demonstrated that piperlongumine was safe and could inhibit tumorigenesis in vivo. The present study provides strong evidence that piperlongumine can be used as a therapeutic candidate for human thyroid cancers.

Abstract

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy, and its global incidence has steadily increased over the past 15 years. TC is broadly divided into well-differentiated, poorly differentiated, and undifferentiated types, depending on the histological and clinical parameters. Thus far, there are no effective treatments for undifferentiated thyroid cancers or advanced and recurrent cancer. Therefore, the development of an effective therapeutic is urgently needed for such patients. Piperlongumine (PL) is a naturally occurring small molecule derived from long pepper; it is selectively toxic to cancer cells by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we demonstrate the potential anticancer activity of PL in four TC cell lines. For this purpose, we cultured TC cell lines and analyzed the following parameters: Cell viability, colony formation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and cellular ROS induction. PL modulated the cell cycle, induced apoptosis, and suppressed tumorigenesis in TC cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner through ROS induction. Meanwhile, an intrinsic caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway was observed in the TC cells under PL treatment. The activation of Erk and the suppression of the Akt/mTOR pathways through ROS induction were seen in cells treated with PL. PL-mediated apoptosis in TC cells was through the ROS-Akt pathway. Finally, the anticancer effect and safety of PL were also demonstrated in vivo. Our findings indicate that PL exhibits antitumor activity and has the potential for use as a chemotherapeutic agent against TC. This is the first study to show the sensitivity of TC cell lines to PL.

Isolation, identification and field tests of the sex pheromone of the carambola fruit borer, Eucosma notanthes

Two components, (Z)-8-dodecenyl acetate (Z8-12:Ac) and (Z)-8-dodecenol (Z8-12:OH), were isolated from sex pheromone glands of the carambola fruit borer, Eucosma notanthes, and were identified by GC, and GC-MS, chemical derivatization, and comparison of retention times. The ratio of the alcohol to acetate in the sex pheromone extracts was 2.7. However, synthetic mixtures (1 mg) in ratios ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 were more effective than other blends in trapping male moths in field tests.

Effect of verapamil on in vitro cytotoxicity of adriamycin and vinblastine in human tumor cells

Verapamil has been shown to reverse acquired drug resistance to Adriamycin (ADR) and vinblastine in the P388 leukemia and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model systems. Because of its potential clinical application, we evaluated the ability of verapamil to modulate the effect of ADR and vinblastine on the in vitro cloning of fresh human tumor cells. Fifty-three tumors were cloned in a soft agar system. Continuous exposure to verapamil at concentrations of 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 micrograms/ml, did not significantly modulate the overall inhibitory activity of ADR and vinblastine (P greater than 0.05). There was no evidence of an effect when results were analyzed by tumor type or previous treatment except in the subgroup of 13 tumors obtained from patients who previously had a clinical response to ADR but were relapsing at the time the tumor specimen was obtained. In this population, at three concentrations of ADR, there was a significant modulation of drug effect (P = 0.10, 0.03, 0.03, respectively). In each subgroup, some tumors showed marked modulation of drug effect by verapamil. These results suggest that the mechanisms of acquired in vivo resistance to ADR may be similar to those occurring in cell lines. However, the effect on human tumors was minor as compared to the results with cell lines. The in vivo significance of this finding remains to be determined.

Hematopoietic growth factors in human serum. erythroid burst-promoting activity in normal subjects and in patients with severe aplastic anemia

The activity capable of promoting the growth of human erythroid burst-forming cells (BFU-E) in culture was measured in the sera from 39 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and compared with similar activity in patients with various other hematologic disorders and 31 normal subjects. Burst-promoting activity (BPA) was determined by its ability to support erythroid burst growth from adherent cell-depleted normal human marrow cells. The results were expressed as the percentage of burst growth supported by test serum compared with cultures established in the presence of 20% test serum and 2.5% phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte conditioned medium. The mean BPA level in normal serum was 18.5% (1.5 +/- SEM) and was not significantly different from BPA levels in patients with various forms of nonhypoplastic anemia or polycythemia (10.2% +/- 1.2%). In contrast, 15 of the 39 patients with AA had elevated BPA levels, ranging from 40.0% to 106.0%. These elevated levels did not correlate with serum erythropoietin or hematocrit values, white blood cell count, platelet count, time from diagnosis, or the presence or numbers of BFU-E in circulation. The BPA was shown not to be T cell growth factor (interleukin-2), and the effect was not blocked by the addition of cyclosporine to culture, consistent with a direct effect of this activity on BFU-E. When the 39 patients with AA were treated with antithymocyte globulin, 20 obtained a complete or partial remission. BPA levels determined from sera obtained before treatment did not correlate with response or duration of survival but did correlate with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating activity (GM-CSA).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aromatic retinal analogues and their interaction with cattle opsin

The preparation of seven aromatic analogues of retinal, the isolation and characterization of their geometric isomers, and the interaction of these isomers with cattle opsin are reported. Within certain limitations, it has been demonstrated that stable aromatic rhodopsin analogues can be prepared. In general, the stereoselectivity of isomers of these compounds in their interaction with opsin and the absorption properties of the resultant pigments are similar to those of the parent retinal.