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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is general term for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which is chronic intestinal and colorectal inflammation caused by microbial infiltration or immunocyte attack. IBD is not curable, and is highly susceptible to develop into colorectal cancer. Finding agents to alleviate these symptoms, as well as any progression of IBD, is a critical effort. This study evaluates the anti-inflammation and anti-tumor activity of 16-hydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15,16-olide (HCD) in in vivo and in vitro assays. The result of an IBD mouse model induced using intraperitoneal chemical azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) injection showed that intraperitoneal HCD adminstration could ameliorate the inflammatory symptoms of IBD mice. In the in vitro assay, cytotoxic characteristics and retained signaling pathways of HCD treatment were analyzed by MTT assay, cell cycle analysis, and Western blotting. From cell viability determination, the IC 50 of HCD in Caco-2 was significantly lower in 2.30 μM at 48 h when compared to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (66.79 μM). By cell cycle and Western blotting analysis, the cell death characteristics of HCD treatment in Caco-2 exhibited the involvement of extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in cell death, for which intrinsic apoptosis was predominantly activated via the reduction in growth factor signaling. These potential treatments against colon cancer demonstrate that HCD could provide a promising adjuvant as an alternative medicine in combating colorectal cancer and IBD., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Human neuroblastoma cancer is the most typical extracranial solid tumor. Yet, new remedial treatment therapies are demanded to overcome its sluggish survival rate. Neferine, isolated from the lotus embryos, inhibits the proliferation of various cancer cells. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of neferine in IMR32 human neuroblastoma cells and to expose the concealable molecular mechanisms. IMR32 cells were treated with different concentrations of neferine, followed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to assess cell viability. In an effort to determine the molecular mechanisms in neferine-incubated IMR32 cells, cell cycle arrest, cell migration, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), the 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), caspase-3, Beclin-1, and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) protein expressions were investigated. Neferine strongly disrupted the neuroblastoma cell growth via induction of G2/M phase arrest. Furthermore, neferine provoked autophagy and apoptosis in IMR32 cells, confirmed by p-FAK, and p-S6K1 reduction, LC3-II accumulation, Beclin-1 overexpression, and cleaved caspase-3/PARP improvement. Finally, neferine markedly retarded cell migration of neuroblastoma cancer cells. As a result, our findings for the first time showed an explicit anti-cancer effect of neferine in IMR32 cells, suggesting that neferine might be a potential candidate against human neuroblastoma cells to improve clinical outcomes with further in vivo investigation.

Cisplatin is one of the most potent chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of many types of solid tumors but its efficacy is often limited by the development of resistance and dose limiting toxicity. Neferine is an alkaloid isolated from seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera, it has recently been shown to have anticancer effects in various human cancer cell lines. The present investigation is designed to study the chemosensitizing ability of neferine with cisplatin in A549 cells. Neferine potentiates the cisplatin induced apoptosis through the exploration of characteristic apoptotic morphological changes, induced sub-G1 cell cycle arrest, ROS hypergeneration, significant loss of cellular antioxidant enzymes, as well as loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨM). Furthermore our results revealed that neferine combined with cisplatin down regulate the expression of Bcl-2 and up regulate the expression of Bax, Bad, Bak, release of cytochrome c, p53 levels, then activated cleavage forms of caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP. Moreover neferine and cisplatin combination significantly down regulated the protein levels of FAK and VEGF. In addition, we observed the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Thus this study provides molecular evidence for the ROS mediated apoptosis of the combinatorial regimen of cisplatin and neferine in lung cancer cells. Thus these results suggest that using neferine with cisplatin combinatorial regimen could be potentiating the effect of cisplatin and neferine reduces the cisplatin dose requirement in cancer chemotherapy. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2865-2876, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Doxorubicin (DOX) is the best anticancer agent that has ever been used, but acquired tumor resistance and dose limiting toxicity are major road blocks. Concomitant use of natural compounds is a promising strategy to overcome this problem. Neferine, a proven anticancer agent is found in green embryos of lotus seed. The study demonstrates that neferine acts as an effective enhancer of DOX-induced cell death in A549 cells through ROS mediated apoptosis with MAPK activation and inhibition of NF-κB nuclear translocation. Cotreatment of cells with neferine significantly enhanced intracellular DOX-accumulation. Neferine and DOX in combination also triggered oxidative stress through intracellular Ca(2+) accumulation and dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential in addition to significant loss of cellular antioxidant pool. The MAPK inhibitor effectively decreased the cell-death induced by neferine and DOX. Pretreatment of cells with glutathione reversed the apoptosis induced by combined regimen and recovered the Bcl2/Bax ratio. Moreover, neferine treatment significantly increased the cell viability of DOX-treated cardiomyocytes indicating a possible protective role of neferine towards DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Taken together, our results suggest that a strategy of using neferine and DOX in combination could be helpful to increase the efficacy of DOX and to achieve anticancer synergism by curbing the toxicity., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Antroquinonol a derivative of Antrodia camphorata has been reported to have antitumor effects against various cancer cells. However, the effect of antroquinonol on cell signalling and survival pathways in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells has not been fully demarcated. Here we report that antroquinonol treatment significantly reduced the proliferation of three NSCLC cells. Treatment of A549 cells with antroquinonol increased cell shrinkage, apoptotic vacuoles, pore formation, TUNEL positive cells and increased Sub-G1 cell population with respect to time and dose dependent manner. Antroquinonol treatment not only increased the Sub-G1 accumulation but also reduced the protein levels of cdc2 without altering the expression of cyclin B1, cdc25C, pcdc2, and pcdc25C. Antroquinonol induced apoptosis was associated with disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of Caspase 3 and PARP cleavage in A549 cells. Moreover, antroquinonol treatment down regulated the expression of Bcl2 proteins, which was correlated with the decreased PI3K and mTOR protein levels without altering pro apoptotic and anti apoptotic proteins. Results from the microarray analysis demonstrated that antroquinonol altered the expression level of miRNAs compared with untreated control in A549 cells. The data collectively suggested the antiproliferative effect of antroquinonol on NSCLC A549 cells, which provides useful information for understanding the anticancer mechanism influenced by antroquinonol and is the first report to suggest that antroquinonol may be a promising chemotherapeutic agent for lung cancer., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Toona sinensis is a traditional Chinese herb, and the extracts of T. sinensis leaf possess a variety of biological functions. This study attempted to test the antiproliferative effect of TSL-1 (a bioactive fraction of T. sinensis) in H441 cells (lung adenocarcinoma). The data showed that the antiproliferative effect of TSL-1 on H441 cells is prominent using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. TSL-1-induced apoptosis was confirmed by cell morphology, sub-G(1) peak accumulation, cleavage of poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase, and propidium iodide-annexin V double staining. Furthermore, decreased Bcl-2 accompanied by increased Bax (in western blotting) was found with TSL-1 treatment of H441 cells. TSL-1 treatment-induced G(1) arrest was concurrent with the down-regulation of protein levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 in H441 cells. Peroral and intraperitoneal administrations of TSL-1 were performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy, and peroral administration of TSL-1 was also used to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy in the H441 cell xenograft model in vivo. The data revealed that TSL-1 treatment inhibited H441 tumor growth in both therapeutic and preventive experiments. Taken together, these results demonstrate that TSL-1 possesses the capability of preventing and alleviating lung cancer proliferation in vitro and in vivo with proven nephrological and hepatic safety and has the potential to be developed as an anti-lung cancer drug.

Aim: Thioacetamide (TAA) has been used in studying liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, however, the mechanisms of TAA-induced apoptosis in liver are still unclear. The hepatic epithelial cell line clone 9 was cultured and treated with TAA to investigate the causes of cell death., Methods: The cell viability of TAA-induced clone 9 cells was determined using MTT assay. Total cellular GSH in TAA-induced clone 9 cells was measured using a slight modification of the Tietze assay. The activity of caspase 3 in TAA-induced clone 9 cells was monitored by the cleavage of DEVD-p-nitroanaline. TUNEL assay and flow cytometry were applied for the determination of DNA fragmentation and the proportion of apoptosis in TAA-induced clone 9 cells, respectively. The alterations of caspase 3, Bad, Bax and Phospho-P53 contents in TAA-induced clone 9 cells were measured by Western blot., Results: The experimental data indicated that TAA caused rat hepatic epithelial cell line clone 9 cell death in a dose-and time-dependent manner; 60% of the cells died (MTT assay) within 24 h after 100 mg/L TAA was applied. Apoptotic cell percentage (TUNEL assay) and caspase 3 activities were highest after 100 mg/L TAA was added for 8 h. The release of GSH and the elevation in caspase content after TAA treatment resulted in clone 9 cell apoptosis via oxidative stress and a caspase-dependent mechanism. The phospho-p53, Bax and Bad protein expressions in clone 9 cells were increased after TAA treatment., Conclusion: These results reveal that TAA activates p53, increases caspase 3, Bax and Bad protein contents, perhaps causing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the disintegration of membranes, leading to apoptosis of cells.

Background: Low concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) have anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce bone erosion in a murine collagen-induced arthritis model. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of CO on receptor activator of NF-KB ligand (RANKL), one of the key stimulators of osteoclastogenesis. Methods: The in vivo effects of CO on RANKL expression were assessed in a collagen antibody-induced arthritis model in mice. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed in the RAW246.7 cell line stimulated with RANKL and exposed to either air or CO. The number of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)- positive RAW246.7 cells was also examined after treatment with RANKL and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARy) agonist, Troglitazone. Results: CO reduced RANKL expression in the synovium of arthritic mice. Although CO slightly increased RAW246.7 cell proliferation, no differences in activated caspase 3 levels were detected. In addition, Troglitazone ameliorated the inhibitory effects of CO on RANKL-induced TRAP expression by RAW246.7 cells. Conclusions: CO suppresses osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting the RANKL-induced activation of PPAR-y. Given the role of the PPAR-y/cFos (AP-1) pathway in regulating the transcription factor, NFATc1, the master regulator of osteoclastogenesis, further studies are warranted to explore CO in treating inflammatory bone disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neferine is the major bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the seed embryo of a traditional medicinal plant Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus). Epidemiological studies have revealed the therapeutic potential of lotus seed embryo. Although several mechanisms have been proposed, a clear anticancer action mechanism of neferine on lung cancer cells is still not known. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the world, and the patients with advanced stage of nonsmall lung cancer require adjunct chemotherapy after surgical resection for the eradication of cancer cells. In this study, the effects of neferine were evaluated and characterized in A549 cells. Neferine induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner with the hypergeneration of reactive oxygen species, activation of MAPKs, lipid peroxidation, depletion of cellular antioxidant pool, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and intracellular calcium accumulation. Furthermore, neferine treatment leads to the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB and Bcl2, upregulation of Bax and Bad, release of cytochrome C, activation of caspase cascade, and DNA fragmentation. In addition, neferine could induce p53 and its effector protein p21 and downregulation of cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1 thereby inducing G1 cell cycle arrest. These results suggest a novel function of neferine as an apoptosis inducer in lung cancer cells. © 2013 BioFactors, 40(1):121-131, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated whether 16-hydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15,16-olide (HCD) and N-methyl-actinodaphine (MA) could sensitize breast cancer cells to Tamoxifen (TMX) treatment. MA or HCD alone or in combination with TMX dose-dependently inhibited MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell growth, with a more potent inhibition on MDA-MB 231 cells. Furthermore, this novel combination significantly induced S and G2/M cell cycle phase in MDA-MB 231 than MCF-7 cells. Further determination of the apoptotic induction showed that MA or HCD and TMX combination inhibited MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells by upregulating Bax and by downregulating Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression without altering Caspase-8 and Caspase-12 expression. These results suggest that MA or HCD pretreatment may potentiate the anti-tumor effect of tamoxifen on breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Pyrogallol, a catechin compound, is an active component of Emblica officinalis extracts and has an anti-proliferative effect on some human cancer cell lines. In our preliminary study, pyrogallol had highly cytotoxic effect on human lung cancer cell lines and less effect on human bronchial epithelium cell line. This study was performed to investigate the beneficial effect of pyrogallol on human lung cancer cell lines – H441 (lung adenocarcinoma) and H520 (lung squamous cell carcinoma). The MTT (cytotoxic) data showed the inhibition growth of lung cancer cells followed pyrogallol treatment. The cell cycle of lung cancer cells was arrested in G2/M phase using flow cytometry. Using Western blot analysis, the cell cycle related proteins – cyclin B1 and Cdc25c were decreased in a time-dependent manner and the phosphorylated Cdc2 (Thr14) was increased within 4h pyrogallol treatment. Moreover, the higher cleavage of poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), the increased of Bax concurrent with the decreased of Bcl-2 indicated that pyrogallol treatment resulted in apoptosis of lung cancer cells. The cell apoptosis was also directly demonstrated using Annexin V-FITC and TUNEL stain. Additionally, the tumoricidal effect of pyrogallol was measured using a xenograft nude mice model. After 5 weeks of pyrogallol treatment could cause the regression of tumor. Taken in vitro and in vivo studies together, these results suggest that pyrogallol can be developed as a promising anti-lung cancer drug particular for the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]