scholarly journals Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in oral precancerous and cancerous conditions and its inhibition by caffeic acid phenyl ester-enriched propolis in human oral epidermal carcinoma KB cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Fang Chiu ◽  
Chang-Shyue Yang ◽  
Hsien-I Chi ◽  
Yi-Chun Han ◽  
You-Cheng Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oral Cancer ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Western Blotting ◽  
Carcinoma Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Oral Carcinoma ◽  
Cox 2 ◽  
Epidermal Carcinoma

Oral cancer accounts for 3-5% of all cancers worldwide. The present study was undertaken to investigate the correlation between overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and various grades of oral cancer, and to ascertain the inhibitory effect of propolis in the human oral carcinoma cell line. For ex vivo studies, 45 patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF; n=15), oral leukoplakia (OLP; n=18) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC; n=18) were recruited, and a biopsy was done to determine COX-2 protein expression by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). For the in vitro study, COX-2 levels were measured in human oral epidermal carcinoma cell line by immune blotting and IHC. The results of ex vivo studies by Western blotting revealed that COX-2 protein levels were highly upregulated in OSCC tissue, followed by OLP and OSF. The levels of COX-2 expression also showed a positive correlation with the grade (severity) of each oral precancerous and cancerous condition. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed the presence of intense COX-2 staining in the cells of OSCC tissue, equivalent to the OLP and OSF specimens. In the in vitro study of oral carcinoma KB cells, Western blotting and IHC analysis showed that caffeic acid phenyl ester (CAPE)-rich propolis and celecoxib, a standard COX-2 inhibitor, markedly downregulated COX-2 expression. These results suggest that propolis exhibits a chemopreventive potential by lowering COX-2 expression in the oral carcinoma KB cell line. Hence, propolis might be used as an adjuvant therapy for treating oral cancer with standard chemotherapy drugs.

scholarly journals Enhancing Anti-Tumoral Potential of CD-NHF by Modulating PI3K/Akt Axis in U87 Ex Vivo Glioma Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 3873
Author(s):  
Gabriel Luta ◽  
Mihail Butura ◽  
Adrian Tiron ◽  
Crina E. Tiron
Keyword(s):  
Cell Line ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Glioma Cells ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Immunofluorescent Staining ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Disease Diagnostics ◽  
Phosphorylated Akt ◽  
Significant Impairment

Background: In the latest years, there has been an increased interest in nanomaterials that may provide promising novel approaches to disease diagnostics and therapeutics. Our previous results demonstrated that Carbon-dots prepared from N-hydroxyphthalimide (CD-NHF) exhibited anti-tumoral activity on several cancer cell lines such as MDA-MB-231, A375, A549, and RPMI8226, while U87 glioma tumor cells were unaffected. Gliomas represent one of the most common types of human primary brain tumors and are responsible for the majority of deaths. In the present in vitro study, we expand our previous investigation on CD-NHF in the U87 cell line by adding different drug combinations. Methods: Cell viability, migration, invasion, and immunofluorescent staining of key molecular pathways have been assessed after various treatments with CD-NHF and/or K252A and AKTVIII inhibitors in the U87 cell line. Results: Association of an inhibitor strongly potentiates the anti-tumoral properties of CD-NHF identified by significant impairment of migration, invasion, and expression levels of phosphorylated Akt, p70S6Kinase, or by decreasing expression levels of Bcl-2, IL-6, STAT3, and Slug. Conclusions: Using simultaneously reduced doses of both CD-NHF and an inhibitor in order to reduce side effects, the viability and invasiveness of U87 glioma cells were significantly impaired.

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