scholarly journals Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Melatonin in Osteosarcoma

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ko-Hsiu Lu ◽  
Renn-Chia Lin ◽  
Jia-Sin Yang ◽  
Wei-En Yang ◽  
Russel J. Reiter ◽  
...  

Osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone malignancy, occurs most frequently in adolescents with a peak of incidence at 11–15 years. Melatonin, an indole amine hormone, shows a wide range of anticancer activities. The decrease in melatonin levels simultaneously concurs with the increase in bone growth and the peak age distribution of osteosarcoma during puberty, so melatonin has been utilized as an adjunct to chemotherapy to improve the quality of life and clinical outcomes. While a large amount of research has been conducted to understand the complex pleiotropic functions and the molecular and cellular actions elicited by melatonin in various types of cancers, a few review reports have focused on osteosarcoma. Herein, we summarized the anti-osteosarcoma effects of melatonin and its underlying molecular mechanisms to illustrate the known significance of melatonin in osteosarcoma and to address cellular signaling pathways of melatonin in vitro and in animal models. Even in the same kind of osteosarcoma, melatonin has been sparingly investigated to counteract tumor growth, apoptosis, and metastasis through different mechanisms, depending on different cell lines. We highlighted the underlying mechanism of anti-osteosarcoma properties evoked by melatonin, including antioxidant activity, anti-proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and the inhibition of invasion and metastasis. Moreover, we discussed the drug synergy effects of the role of melatonin involved and the method to fortify the anti-cancer effects on osteosarcoma. As a potential therapeutic agent, melatonin is safe for children and adolescents and is a promising candidate for an adjuvant by reinforcing the therapeutic effects and abolishing the unwanted consequences of chemotherapies.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 983-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Asaduzzaman Khan ◽  
Mousumi Tania

Background: Cordycepin is a nucleotide analogue from Cordyceps mushrooms, which occupies a notable place in traditional medicine. Objective: In this review article, we have discussed the recent findings on the molecular aspects of cordycepin interactions with its recognized cellular targets, and possible mechanisms of its anticancer activity. Methods: We have explored databases like pubmed, google scholar, scopus and web of science for the update information on cordycepin and mechanisms of its anticancer activity, and reviewed in this study. Results: Cordycepin has been widely recognized for its therapeutic potential against many types of cancers by various mechanisms. More specifically, cordycepin can induce apoptosis, resist cell cycle and cause DNA damage in cancer cells, and thus kill or control cancer cell growth. Also cordycepin can induce autophagy and modulate immune system. Furthermore, cordycepin also inhibits tumor metastasis. Although many success stories of cordycepin in anticancer research in vitro and in animal model, and there is no successful clinical trial yet. Conclusion: Ongoing research studies have reported highly potential anticancer activities of cordycepin with numerous molecular mechanisms. The in vitro and in vivo success of cordycepin in anticancer research might influence the clinical trials of cordycepin, and this molecule might be used for development of future cancer drug.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Gwang Park ◽  
Young-Jin Son ◽  
Tae Ho Lee ◽  
Nam Joon Baek ◽  
Deok Hyo Yoon ◽  
...  

Cordyceps militaris is used widely as a traditional medicine in East Asia. Although a few studies have attempted to elucidate the anticancer activities of C. militaris, the precise mechanism of C. militaris therapeutic effects is not fully understood. We examined the anticancer activities of C. militaris ethanolic extract (Cm-EE) and its cellular and molecular mechanisms. For this purpose, a xenograft mouse model bearing murine T cell lymphoma (RMA) cell-derived cancers was established to investigate in vivo anticancer mechanisms. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay, immunoblotting analysis, and flow cytometric assay were employed to check in vitro cytotoxicity, molecular targets, and proapoptotic action of Cm-EE. Interestingly, cancer sizes and mass were reduced in a C. militaris-administered group. Levels of the phosphorylated forms of p85 and AKT were clearly decreased in the group administered with Cm-EE. This result indicated that levels of phosphoglycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-GSK3β) and cleaved caspase-3 were increased with orally administered Cm-EE. In addition, Cm-EE directly inhibited the viability of cultured RMA cells and C6 glioma cells. The number of proapoptotic cells was significantly increased in a Cm-EE treated group compared with a control group. Our results suggested that C. militaris might be able to inhibit cancer growth through regulation of p85/AKT-dependent or GSK3β-related caspase-3-dependent apoptosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Kyoung Sik Park

The medicinal herb Centella asiatica (L.) Urban known as gotu kola has been reported to exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. In particular, a significant body of scientific research exists on the therapeutic properties of preparations of C. asiatica or its triterpenes in the treatment of skin diseases. The present study is aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the beneficial effects of C. asiatica on skin diseases. Peer-reviewed articles on the potent dermatological effects of C. asiatica were acquired from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SciFinder. This review provides an understanding of pharmacological studies which confirm the potent dermatological effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of C. asiatica. This medicinal plant and its triterpenes include asiaticoside, madecassoside, and their aglycones, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. These compounds exert therapeutic effects on dermatological diseases such as acne, burns, atopic dermatitis, and wounds via NF-κB, TGF-β/Smad, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, and STAT signaling in in vitro and in vivo studies. However, additional rigorously controlled long-term clinical trials will be necessary to confirm the full potential of C. asiatica as a therapeutic agent.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-431
Author(s):  
Kishore K. Valluri ◽  
Tejeswara R. Allaka ◽  
IV Kasi Viswanath ◽  
Nagaraju PVVS

Background: Many pyrazole piperazine derivatives are known to exhibit a wide range, thus being attractive for the drug design and synthesis of interesting class of widely studied heterocyclic compounds. It is therefore necessary to devote continuing effort for the identification and development of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) as potential antibacterial and anticancer agents to address serious health problems. Methods: A series of new compounds containing pyrazole ring linked to a piperazine hydrochloride moiety were synthesized and screened for their antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity of novel scaffolds are described by variation in therapeutic effects of parent molecule. The structure variants were characterized by using a blend of spectroscopic 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, Mass and chromatographic techniques. Results: When tested for in vitro antibacterial and anticancer activities, several of these compounds showed good activities. The target compounds 9b, 9a and 9e exhibited a high degree of anticancer activity against human colon cancer cell line Caco-2 and human breast cancer cell line MDAMB231. Further, 9a, 9b, 9d, and 9h showed better activity towards four medically relevant organisms; Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella Species compared to CPF. In the present investigation, cheminfomatics tools Molinspiration, 2003 and MolSoft, 2007 for the prediction of insilico molecular properties and drug likeness for the target compounds 9a-h was evaluated and positive results were observed. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the molecular framework presented here could be a useful template for the identification of novel small molecules as promising antibacterial/ anticancer agents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-89
Author(s):  
Mahesh M. Gouda ◽  
Ashwini Prabhu ◽  
Varsha Reddy S.V. ◽  
Rafa Jahan ◽  
Yashodhar P. Bhandary

Background: Bleomycin (BLM) is known to cause DNA damage in the Alveolar Epithelial Cells (AECs). It is reported that BLM is involved in the up-regulation of inflammatory molecules such as neutrophils, macrophages, chemokines and cytokines. The complex underlying mechanism for inflammation mediated progression of lung injury is still unclear. This investigation was designed to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with p53 mediated modulation of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-I (PAI-I) expression and its regulation by nano-curcumin formulation. Methods: A549 cells were treated with BLM to cause the cellular damage in vitro and commercially available nano-curcumin formulation was used as an intervention. Cytotoxic effect of nano-curcumin was analyzed using Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Protein expressions were analyzed using western blot to evaluate the p53 mediated changes in PAI-I expression. Results: Nano-curcumin showed cytotoxicity up to 88.5 % at a concentration of 20 μg/ml after 48 h of treatment. BLM exposure to the cells activated the phosphorylation of p53, which in turn increased PAII expression. Nano-curcumin treatment showed a protective role against phosphorylation of p53 and PAI-I expression, which in turn regulated the fibro-proliferative phase of injury induced by bleomycin. Conclusion: Nano-curcumin could be used as an effective intervention to regulate the severity of lung injury, apoptosis of AECs and fibro-proliferation during pulmonary injury.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7844
Author(s):  
Jason S. Holsapple ◽  
Ben Cooper ◽  
Susan H. Berry ◽  
Aleksandra Staniszewska ◽  
Bruce M. Dickson ◽  
...  

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is used clinically in various disorders including chronic wounds for its pro-angiogenic, proliferative, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms driving therapeutic effects are not well characterized. Macrophages play a key role in all aspects of healing and their dysfunction results in failure to resolve chronic wounds. We investigated the role of ESWT on macrophage activity in chronic wound punch biopsies from patients with non-healing venous ulcers prior to, and two weeks post-ESWT, and in macrophage cultures treated with clinical shockwave intensities (150–500 impulses, 5 Hz, 0.1 mJ/mm2). Using wound area measurements and histological/immunohistochemical analysis of wound biopsies, we show ESWT enhanced healing of chronic ulcers associated with improved wound angiogenesis (CD31 staining), significantly decreased CD68-positive macrophages per biopsy area and generally increased macrophage activation. Shockwave treatment of macrophages in culture significantly boosted uptake of apoptotic cells, healing-associated cytokine and growth factor gene expressions and modulated macrophage morphology suggestive of macrophage activation, all of which contribute to wound resolution. Macrophage ERK activity was enhanced, suggesting one mechanotransduction pathway driving events. Collectively, these in vitro and in vivo findings reveal shockwaves as important regulators of macrophage functions linked with wound healing. This immunomodulation represents an underappreciated role of clinically applied shockwaves, which could be exploited for other macrophage-mediated disorders.


Author(s):  
К.П. Кравченко ◽  
К. Л. Козлов ◽  
А.О. Дробинцева ◽  
Д.С. Медведев ◽  
В.О. Полякова

Для понимания патогенеза дилатационной кардиомиопатии (ДКМП) необходимо установить молекулярно-клеточные механизмы старения миокарда, в том числе связанные с программируемой клеточной гибелью, молекулярные механизмы которого практически не изучены. Цель работы - изучение маркеров апоптоза в кардиомиоцитах у пациентов с ДКМП in vitro. В работе использовали метод первичных диссоциированных клеточных культур и метод иммунофлюоресцентной конфокальной лазерной микроскопии. Для моделирования клеточного старения использовали клетки 3-го и 14-го пассажей, соответствующие «молодым» и «старым» культурам. На молекулярном уровне старение клеток кардиомиоцитов сопровождалось повышением экспрессии р16 в 2 раза по сравнению с «молодыми культурами» как в контрольной, так и в группе с ДКМП. Также установлено, что экспрессия р16 в культурах, взятых от пациентов с патологией, была в 2 раза выше, чем в аналогичных культурах от здоровых пациентов. Экспрессия р21 была повышена в группе с ДКМП по сравнению с контрольной группой, однако при старении культуры экспрессия p21 не изменялась, оставаясь на высоком уровне. Наиболее значимые различия были получены при сравнении экспрессии Bax в культуре клеток кардиомиоцитов из группы с ДКМП в «молодой» культуре с нормой - в 3,2 раза. Старение клеток миокарда на молекулярном уровне проявлялось в повышении экспрессии белка Baх, именно он является запускающим механизмом митохондриального пути апоптоза. Возможно, этот путь клеточной гибели является превалирующем при ДКМП. To understand the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP), it is necessary to establish the molecular-cellular mechanisms of myocardial aging, including those associated with programmed cell death, the molecular mechanisms of which have not been practically studied. The aim of this work is to study markers of apoptosis in cardiomyocytes of patients with DCMP in vitro. We used the method of primary dissociated cell cultures and the method of immunofluorescence confocal laser microscopy. Cells of the 3 and 14 passages, corresponding to «young» and «old» cultures, were used to simulate cellular senescence. Results. At the molecular level, aging of cardiomyocyte cells was accompanied by a twofold increase in the expression of p16 compared to «young cultures» both in the control group and in the group with DCMP. It was also found that the expression of p16 in cultures taken from patients with pathology was 2 times higher than in similar cultures from healthy patients. The expression of p21 was increased in the group with DCMP compared to the control; however, with aging of the culture, the expression of p21 did not change, remaining at a significant level. The most significant differences were obtained when comparing the expression of Bax in the cell culture of cardiomyocytes from the group with DCMP in a «young» culture compared with the norm, 3,2 times. Aging of myocardial cells at the molecular level was manifested in an increase in the expression of the Bax protein, which is the triggering mechanism of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. It is possible that this pathway of cell death is prevalent in DCMP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Chen ◽  
Bo-lun Shi ◽  
Run-zhi Qi ◽  
Xing Chang ◽  
Hong-gang Zheng

Endogenous metabolites are a class of molecules playing diverse and significant roles in many metabolic pathways for disease. Honokiol (HNK), an active poly-phenolic compound, has shown potent anticancer activities. However, the detailed crucial mechanism regulated by HNK in colorectal cancer remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of HNK on colorectal cancer in a mouse model (ApcMin/+) by analyzing the urine metabolic profile based on metabolomics, which is a powerful tool for characterizing metabolic disturbances. We found that potential urine biomarkers were involved in the metabolism of compounds such as purines, tyrosines, tryptophans, etc. Moreover, we showed that a total of 27 metabolites were the most contribution biomarkers for intestinal tumors, and we found that the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) was regulated by HNK. In addition, it was suggested that the efficacy of HNK was achieved by affecting the multi-pathway system via influencing relevant metabolic pathways and regulating metabolic function. Our work also showed that high-throughput metabolomics can characterize the regulation of metabolic disorders as a therapeutic strategy to prevent colorectal cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Ling Liang ◽  
Hongliang Jiang ◽  
Wenxuan Feng ◽  
Huazhen Liu ◽  
Ling Han ◽  
...  

Macrophages, a major subset of innate immune cells, are main infiltrating cells in the kidney in lupus nephritis. Macrophages with different phenotypes exert diverse or even opposite effects on the development of lupus nephritis. Substantial evidence has shown that macrophage M2 polarization is beneficial to individuals with chronic kidney disease. Further, it has been reported that PD-1 ligands (PD-Ls) contribute to M2 polarization of macrophages and their immunosuppressive effects. Total glucosides of paeony (TGP), originally extracted from Radix Paeoniae Alba, has been approved in China to treat some autoimmune diseases. Here, we investigated the potentially therapeutic effects of TGP on lupus nephritis in a pristane-induced murine model and explored the molecular mechanisms regulating macrophage phenotypes. We found that TGP treatment significantly improved renal function by decreasing the urinary protein and serum creatinine, reducing serum anti-ds-DNA level and ameliorating renal immunopathology. TGP increased the frequency of splenic and peritoneal F4/80+CD11b+CD206+ M2-like macrophages with no any significant effect on F4/80+CD11b+CD86+ M1-like macrophages. Immunofluorescence double-stainings of the renal tissue showed that TGP treatment increased the frequency of F4/80+Arg1+ subset while decreasing the percentage of F4/80+iNOS+ subset. Importantly, TGP treatment increased the percentage of both F4/80+CD11b+PD-L1+ and F4/80+CD11b+PD-L2+ subsets in spleen and peritoneal lavage fluid as well as the kidney. Furthermore, TGP augmented the expressions of CD206, PD-L2 and phosphorylated STAT6 in IL-4-treated Raw264.7 macrophages in vitro while its effects on PD-L2 were abolished by pretreatment of the cells with an inhibitor of STAT6, AS1517499. However, TGP treatment did not affect the expressions of STAT1 and PD-L1 in Raw264.7 macrophages treated with LPS/IFN-γ in vitro, indicating a possibly indirect effect of TGP on PD-L1 expression on macrophages in vivo. Thus, for the first time, we demonstrated that TGP may be a potent drug to treat lupus nephritis by inducing F4/80+CD11b+CD206+ and F4/80+CD11b+PD-L2+ macrophages through IL-4/STAT6/PD-L2 signaling pathway.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-410
Author(s):  
Mengyu Xi ◽  
Wan He ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Jinfeng Zhou ◽  
Zhijian Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common category and disease entity of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Osalmide and pterostilbene are natural products with anticancer activities via different mechanism. In this study, using a new synthetic strategy for the two natural products, we obtained the compound DCZ0801, which was previously found to have anti-multiple myeloma activity. We performed both in vitro and in vivo assays to investigate its bioactivity and explore its underlying mechanism against DLBCL cells. The results showed that DCZ0801 treatment gave rise to a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cell viability as determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry assay. Western blot analysis results showed that the expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 and Bax was increased, while BCL-2 and BCL-XL levels were decreased, which suggested that DCZ0801 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted intrinsic apoptosis. In addition, DCZ0801 induced G0/G1 phase arrest by downregulating the protein expression levels of CDK4, CDK6 and cyclin D1. Furthermore, DCZ0801 exerted an anti-tumor effect by down-regulating the expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT. There also existed a trend that the expression of p-JNK and p-P38 was restrained. Intraperitoneal injection of DCZ0801 suppressed tumor development in xenograft mouse models. The preliminary metabolic study showed that DCZ0801 displayed a rapid metabolism within 30 min. These results demonstrated that DCZ0801 may be a new potential anti-DLBCL agent in DLBCL therapy.


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