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Feruloylacetone (FER) is a natural degradant of curcumin after heating, which structurally reserves some functional groups of curcumin. It is not as widely discussed as its original counterpart has been previously; and in this study, its anticancer efficacy is investigated. This study focuses on the suppressive effect of FER on colon cancer, as the efficacious effect of curcumin on this typical cancer type has been well evidenced. In addition, demethoxy-feruloylacetone (DFER) was applied to compare the effect that might be brought on by the structural differences of the methoxy group. It was revealed that both FER and DFER inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 cells, possibly via suppression of the phosphorylated mTOR/STAT3 pathway. Notably, FER could significantly repress both the STAT3 phosphorylation and protein levels. Furthermore, both samples showed capability of arresting HCT116 cells at the G2/M phase via the activation of p53/p21 and the upregulation of cyclin-B. In addition, ROS elevation and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were revealed, as indicated by p-atm elevation. The apoptotic rate rose to 36.9 and 32.2% after being treated by FER and DFER, respectively. In summary, both compounds exhibited an anticancer effect, and FER showed a greater proapoptotic effect, possibly due to the presence of the methoxy group on the aromatic ring.

Short‑chain fatty acids (SCFAs; butyrate, propionate and acetate) are metabolites derived from the gut microbiota via dietary fiber fermentation. In colon cancer, treatment with SCFAs, mainly butyrate and propionate, suppresses cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, although sodium butyrate is known to induce cell apoptosis in lung cancer, the anticancer effects of sodium propionate (SP) on lung cancer are not well understood. In the present study, SP treatment induced cell cycle arrest, especially in the G2/M phase, and cell apoptosis in the H1299 and H1703 lung cancer cell lines. As determined by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting, Survivin and p21 expression levels were significantly affected by SP treatment, suggesting that SP treatment suppressed cell proliferation in these lung cancer cell lines. Thus, it was proposed that the SP‑mediated regulation of Survivin and p21 in lung cancer may be applicable to lung cancer therapy.

Oridonin, an active diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, has been reported for its antitumor activity on several cancers. However, its effect on human esophageal cancer remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that oridonin could inhibit the growth of human esophageal cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Oridonin not only suppressed the proliferation, but also induced cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in KYSE-30, KYSE-150, and EC9706 cells with dose-dependent manner. Further mechanism studies revealed that oridonin led cell cycle arrest in esophageal cancer cells via downregulating cell cycle-related proteins, such as cyclin B1 and CDK2, while upregulating p53 and p21. Oridonin also increased proapoptotic protein Bax and reduced antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, as well as the increased expression of cleaved caspase-3, -8, and -9. In addition, oridonin treatment could significantly inhibit the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Ras/Raf signaling pathway. In vivo results further demonstrated that oridonin treatment markedly inhibited tumor growth in the esophageal cancer xenograft mice model. Taken together, these results suggest that oridonin may be a potential anticancer agent for the treatment of esophageal cancer., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We have previously shown that the anti-malarial compound Quinacrine (QC) inhibits ovarian cancer (OC) growth by modulating autophagy. In the present study we extended these studies to identify the molecular pathways regulated by QC to promote apoptosis independent of p53 status in OC. QC exhibited strong anti-cancer properties in OC cell lines in contrast to other anti-malarial autophagy inhibiting drugs. QC treatment selectively upregulated cell cycle inhibitor p21, and downregulated F box protein Skp2 and p62/SQSTM1 expression independent of p53 status. Genetic downregulation of key autophagy protein ATG5 abolished QC-mediated effects on both cell cycle protein p21/Skp2 as well as autophagic cargo protein p62. Furthermore, genetic silencing of p62/SQSTM1 resulted in increased sensitivity to QC-mediated apoptosis, downregulated Skp2 mRNA and increased accumulation of p21 expression. Likewise, genetic knockdown of Skp2 resulted in the upregulation of p21 and p27 and increased sensitivity of OC cells to QC treatment. In contrast, transient overexpression of exogenous p62-HA plasmid rescued the QC-mediated Skp2 downregulation indicating the positive regulation of Skp2 by p62. Collectively, these data indicate that QC-mediated effects on cell cycle proteins p21/Skp2is autophagy-dependent and p53-independent in high grade serious OC cells.

6-amino-4-(4-phenoxyphenylethylamino)quinazoline (QNZ) is an excellent quinazoline-containing NF-κB inhibitor also acting as a novel anticancer agent. Considering both the medicinal significance of quinazoline scaffold and the tunable functionality of Michael acceptor-centric pharmacophores in the electrophilicity-based prooxidant strategy, we designed a novel QNZ-inspired electrophilic molecule QNZ-A by introducing a Michael acceptor unit at position-6 of quinazoline ring in QNZ. Our results identified QNZ-A as a promising selective cytotoxic agent against A549 cells. QNZ-A, by virtue of its Michael acceptor unit, induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation associated with collapse of the redox buffering system in A549 cells. This caused up-regulation of p53-inducible p21 and down-regulation of redox sensitive Cdc25C along with Cyclin B1/Cdk1, leading to a G2/M cell cycle arrest and final cell apoptosis. By contrast, QNZ-B, a reduction product of QNZ-A lacking the Michael acceptor unit failed to induce ROS generation and all these cell cycle-related events. In conclusion, this work provided a successful example of designing QNZ-directed anticancer agent by a ROS-promoting strategy and identified QNZ-A as a selective anticancer agent against A549 cells through G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via a ROS-dependent mechanism., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Due to the aggressive clinical behavior, poor outcome, and lack of effective specific targeted therapies, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has currently been recognized as one of the most malignant types of tumors. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of ziyuglycoside I, one of the major components extracted from Chinese anti-tumor herbal Radix Sanguisorbae , on the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231., Methods: The underlying molecular mechanism of the cytotoxic effect ziyuglycoside I on MDA-MB-231 cells was investigated with cell viability assay, flow cytometric analysis and Western blot., Results: Compared to normal mammary gland Hs 578Bst cells, treatment of ziyuglycoside I resulted in a significant growth inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Ziyuglycoside I induced the G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were found to be partially mediated through the up-regulation of p53 and p21 WAF1 , elevated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and the activation of both intrinsic (mitochondrial-initiated) and extrinsic (Fas/FasL-initiated) apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, the p53 specific siRNA attenuated these effects., Conclusion: Our study suggested that ziyuglycoside I-triggered MDA-MB-231 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were probably mediated by p53. This suggests that ziyuglycoside I might be a potential drug candidate for treating TNBC., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Calotropin (M11), an active compound isolated from Asclepias curasavica L., was found to exert strong inhibitory and pro-apoptotic activity specifically against cisplatin-induced resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells (A549/CDDP). Molecular mechanism study revealed that M11 induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase through down-regulating cyclins, CDK1, CDK2 and up-regulating p53 and p21. Furthermore, M11 accelerated apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway which was accompanied by increase Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, increase in reactive oxygen species production, activations of caspases 3 and 9 as well as cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). The activation and phosphorylation of JNK was also found to be involved in M11-induced apoptosis, and SP610025 (specific JNK inhibitor) partially prevented apoptosis induced by M11. In contrast, all of the effects that M11 induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549/CDDP cells were not significant in A549 cells. Drugs with higher sensitivity against resistant tumor cells than the parent cells are rather rare. Results of this study supported the potential application of M11 on the non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) with cisplatin resistance., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The function of Kv11.1 is emerging in breast cancer biology, as a growing body of evidence indicates that the hERG1/Kv11.1 potassium channel is aberrantly expressed in several cancer types including breast cancers.The biological effects of Kv11.1 channel blockers and their associated side effects are very well known but the potential use of Kv11.1 activators as an anticancer strategy are still unexplored. In our previous work, we have established that stimulation of the Kv11.1 potassium channel activates a senescent-like program that is characterized by a significant increase in tumor suppressor protein levels, such as p21waf/cip and p16INK4A. In this study we investigated the mechanism linking Kv11.1 stimulation to augmentation of p21waf/cip protein level. We have demonstrated that the Kv11.1 channel activator NS1643 activates a calcineurin-dependent transcription of p21waf/cip and that this event is fundamental for the inhibitory effect of NS1643 on cell proliferation. Our results reveal a novel mechanism by which stimulation of Kv11.1 channel leads to transcription of a potent tumor suppressor and suggest a potential therapeutic use for Kv11.1 channel activators.

Costunolide is a sesquiterpene lactone, which possesses potent anti-cancer properties. However, there is little report about its effects on esophageal cancer. In our study, we investigated the effects of costunolide on the cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis in human esophageal cancer Eca-109 cells. It was found that costunolide inhibited the growth of Eca-109 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm ) and the production of ROS. Costunolide induced apoptosis of Eca-109 cells as well as cell cycle arrest in G1/S phase by upregulation of P53 and P21. Costunolide triggered apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells via the upregulation of Bax, downregulation of Bcl-2, and significant activation of caspase-3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase. These effects were markedly abrogated when cells were pretreated with N-acetylcysteine, a specific reactive oxygen specie inhibitor. These results suggest that costunolide is a potential candidate for the treatment of esophageal cancer., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Ovarian epithelial carcinoma is the leading cause of deaths from gynecologic malignancy. New reagents with therapeutic potentials against ovarian cancer, especially the drug-resistant cases, are required for better treatment of ovarian cancer patients. Epigenetic events such as changes in DNA methylation and histone modification, through their effects on DNA-protein interaction, chromatin conformation, and gene expression, affect cell function, cancer behavior, clinical manifestations, and outcomes. Previous studies have shown that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have strong cytostatic and apoptotic activities in hematologic and some solid cancer cells. Oxamflatin, a compound containing the aromatic sulfonamide and hydroxamic acid groups, is known to be a potent HDAC inhibitor capable of inhibiting the growth of mouse and human cancer cell lines. In this study we found that oxamflatin in the nM range induced morphological changes in OVCAR-5 and SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cell lines. Treatment with oxamflatin also led to decreased cell viability. Moreover, results of BrdU incorporation assay, cell counting, and Ki-67 immunostaining indicated that oxamflatin was able to significantly inhibit DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Using real-time PCR and Western blot analyses we demonstrated that oxamflatin was capable of downregulating the expression of c-Myc, CDK4, E2F1, and the phosphorylation levels of Rb protein, but upregulating p21. These findings pave the way to examine if oxamflatin along with or in combination with other reagents could deliver anticancer effects against ovarian cancers in vivo.

Recently, there are tendency to use natural products such as Ziziphus Jujube (Jujube) as therapeutic agents for cancer. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer effects of Jujube may improve the current therapeutic strategies against cervical cancer. Our MTT data showed a significant dose- and time-dependent inhibition of OV-2008 cell proliferation following Jujube administration. Moreover, qRT-PCR analyses significantly revealed the suppression of cyclin D1 and the enhancement of P53, P21 and P27 expression in treated cells. These results suggest that the herb exerts a cytotoxic effect on cervical cancer cells through alternation of the expression of the genes that are involved in regulation of cell cycle.

Plectranthus excisus is widely distributed throughout northeast China. Its active ingredient, diterpenoids, exhibits significant antitumor effects. The present study examined the antitumor effects of diterpenoid B (DB), derived from Plectranthus excisus, and demonstrated that DB inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells by inhibiting the cell cycle. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to determine mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. The results revealed that exposure to DB increased the expression levels of the transformation associated, protein 53, and cyclin‑dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, and decreased the expression of cyclin‑dependent kinase 2. The results of the present study demonstrated that DB can inhibit cell cycle progression and, therefore, offers potential as a beneficial antitumor drug.

A20, also known as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), has been identified as a key regulator of cell survival in many solid tumors. However, little is known about the protein expression level and function of A20 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In this study, we found that A20 is up-regulated in ALL patients and several cell lines. Knockdown of A20 in Jurkat, Nalm-6, and Reh cells resulted in reduced cell proliferation, which was associated with cell cycle arrest. Phospho-ERK (p-ERK) was also down-regulated, while p53 and p21 were up-regulated in A20 knockdown cells. In addition, A20 knockdown induced apoptosis in Jurkat and Reh cells and enhanced the sensitivity of these cell lines to chemotherapeutic drugs. These results indicate that A20 may stimulate cell proliferation by regulating cell cycle progression. A20 inhibited apoptosis in some types of ALL cells, thereby enhancing their resistance to chemotherapy. This effect was abolished through A20 silencing. These findings suggest that A20 may contribute to the pathogenesis of ALL and that it may be used as a new therapeutic target for ALL treatment., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Epithelial ovarian cancer is a diverse molecular and clinical disease, yet standard treatment is the same for all subtypes. TP53 mutations represent a node of divergence in epithelial ovarian cancer histologic subtypes and may represent a therapeutic opportunity in subtypes expressing wild type, including most low-grade ovarian serous carcinomas, ovarian clear cell carcinomas and ovarian endometrioid carcinomas, which represent approximately 25% of all epithelial ovarian cancer. We therefore sought to investigate Nutlin-3a--a therapeutic which inhibits MDM2, activates wild-type p53, and induces apoptosis--as a therapeutic compound for TP53 wild-type ovarian carcinomas. Fifteen epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines of varying histologic subtypes were treated with Nutlin-3a with determination of IC50 values. Western Blot (WB) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses quantified MDM2, p53, and p21 expression after Nutlin-3a treatment. DNA from 15 cell lines was then sequenced for TP53 mutations in exons 2-11 including intron-exon boundaries. Responses to Nutlin-3a were dependent upon TP53 mutation status. By qRT-PCR and WB, levels of MDM2 and p21 were upregulated in wild-type TP53 sensitive cell lines, and p21 induction was reduced or absent in mutant cell lines. Annexin V assays demonstrated apoptosis in sensitive cell lines treated with Nutlin-3a. Thus, Nutlin-3a could be a potential therapeutic agent for ovarian carcinomas expressing wild-type TP53 and warrants further investigation.

Background: Tanacetum polycephalum L. Schultz-Bip is a member of the Asteraceae family. This study evaluated the chemopreventive effect of a T. polycephalum hexane extract (TPHE) using in in vivo and in vitro models., Methods and Results: Five groups of rats: normal control, cancer control, TPHE low dose, TPHE high dose and positive control (tamoxifen) were used for the in vivo study. Histopathological examination showed that TPHE significantly suppressed the carcinogenic effect of LA7 tumour cells. The tumour sections from TPHE-treated rats demonstrated significantly reduced expression of Ki67 and PCNA compared to the cancer control group. Using a bioassay-guided approach, the cytotoxic compound of TPHE was identified as a tricyclic sesquiterpene lactone, namely, 8β- hydroxyl- 4β, 15- dihydrozaluzanin C (HDZC). Signs of early and late apoptosis were observed in MCF7 cells treated with HDZC and were attributed to the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway based on the up-regulation of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2. HDZC induced cell cycle arrest in MCF7 cells and increased the expression of p21 and p27 at the mRNA and protein levels., Conclusion: This results of this study substantiate the anticancer effect of TPHE and highlight the involvement of HDZC as one of the contributing compounds that act by initiating mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

p21/Waf1 protein is one of the main cell cycle arrest regulators and one of the most well-known transcriptional targets of TP53 protein. Here, we demonstrated the activation of expression of the p21/Waf1 gene when the cells were treated to sodium butyrate (NaBu)--one of the natural inhibitors of deacetylase, and investigated whether this phenomenon depends on the presence of functionally active TP53 protein. We compared the effect of the NaBu treatment on the human cell line with different TP53 mutation profile, including: wild-type TP53, single nucleotide substitutions, and the complete absence of TP53 gene. NaBu activated the TP53 protein via hyper acetylation at lysine residue K382, without significant changes in the level of protein expression. Western blotting demonstrated that the addition of NaBu triggers a significant increase in the p21/Waf1 protein level in both the TP53 wild-type cells and in the cells with single nucleotide substitutions in the domain responsible for the binding of TP53 protein to DNA. At the same time, no the p21/Waf1 protein induction was observed in the cells with complete deletion of the TP53 gene. However, NaBu was not able to induce the p2 1/Waf1 production when the expression of TP53 was transiently knocked down by the p53 siRNA. Overall, our results suggest that the NaBu-dependent induction of p21/Waf1 does require the presence of TP53 protein but unexpectedly it can occur regardless of mutational changes in the domain responsible for the TP53 binding to DNA. One of the hypothetical explanations is that NaBu increases the level of TP53 acetylation, and the modified protein is able to establish a new network of protein-protein interactions or trigger some conformational changes affecting the TP53-dependent transcriptional machinery even when its DNA binding ability is impaired.

Deoxyelephantopin, a sesquiterpene lactone extracted and purified from Elephantopus scaber, has been shown to exhibit antitumor and hepatoprotective activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing properties of deoxyelephantopin in SiHa cells and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Deoxyelephantopin inhibited growth of SiHa cells and triggered apoptosis. Apoptosis was accompanied by sequential activation of caspases (8, 9, 3, and 7) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl2 and Bcl-xL) and upregulation of apoptotic protein (bax) were also detected. Our results demonstrated that deoxyelephantopin-induced G2/M phase arrest was associated with a marked increase in the levels of p53 and p21 and a decrease in phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3-Tyr705), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (cdc2), and cyclin B1. The expression of p-Akt and p-mTOR was downregulated. p-ERK was inhibited while p-JNK and p-p38 was activated on deoxyelephantopin treatment. Our findings provided the first evidence that STAT3/p53/p21 signaling, MAPK pathway, PI3k/Akt/mTOR pathway, caspase cascades, and ROS play critical roles in deoxyelephantopin-induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis of SiHa cells.

Berberine has been shown to have renoprotective effects on diabetes through attenuating TGF-β1 and fibronectin (FN) expression. However, how berberine regulates TGF-β1 and FN is not fully clear. Here we investigated whether berberine inhibited TGF-β1 and FN expression in high glucose-cultured mesangial cells. Berberine significantly inhibited mesangial cell proliferation and hypertrophy by increasing the cell population in G1-phase and reducing that in S-phase. In addition, berberine reversed high glucose-induced down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(Waf1)/(Cip1) and p27(Kip1). Berberine inhibited p65 translocation to the nucleus and c-jun phosphorylation induced by high glucose. Furthermore, berberine attenuated high glucose-induced expression of TGF-β1 and FN. Using a luciferase reporter assay, we found that high glucose-induced transcription activity of NF-κB and AP-1 was blocked by berberine. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that high glucose increased that NF-κB and AP-1 DNA binding activity. These data indicate that berberine inhibited mesangial cell proliferation and hypertrophy by modulating cell cycle progress. In addition, berberine suppressed high glucose-induced TGF-β1 and FN expression by blocking NF-κB/AP-1 pathways., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Glucose fluctuations are both strong predictor of diabetic complications and crucial factor for beta cell damages. Here we investigated the effect of intermittent high glucose (IHG) on both cell apoptosis and proliferation activity in INS-1 cells and the potential mechanisms., Methods: Cells were treated with normal glucose (5.5 mmol/L), constant high glucose (CHG) (25 mmol/L), and IHG (rotation per 24 h in 11.1 or 25 mmol/L) for 7 days. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), xanthine oxidase (XOD) level, apoptosis, cell viability, cell cycle, and expression of cyclinD1, p21, p27, and Skp2 were determined., Results: We found that IHG induced more significant apoptosis than CHG and normal glucose; intracellular ROS and XOD levels were more markedly increased in cells exposed to IHG. Cells treated with IHG showed significant decreased cell viability and increased cell proportion in G0/G1 phase. Cell cycle related proteins such as cyclinD1 and Skp2 were decreased significantly, but expressions of p27 and p21 were increased markedly., Conclusions: This study suggested that IHG plays a more toxic effect including both apoptosis-inducing and antiproliferative effects on INS-1 cells. Excessive activation of cellular stress and regulation of cyclins might be potential mechanism of impairment in INS-1 cells induced by IHG.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(CIP1/WAF1) is a regulatory factor of the cell cycle. Its transcriptional activation and protein stability are tightly controlled by several distinct mechanisms. S100A11 is a member of the S100 family of Ca²⁺-binding proteins involved in several biological processes, including cell cycle progression and signal transduction. In the present study, we show that down-regulation of S100A11 results in the reduction of p21 protein in human HaCaT keratinocytes. It appears that a ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation process is involved in p21 degradation in S100A11 down-regulated cells. The application of a proteasome inhibitor stabilized p21 protein in these cells. Analysis of distinct signal transduction pathways revealed a disturbed phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt pathway after S100A11 knockdown. We determined that the glycogen synthase kinase-3, which is negatively regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, was activated in cells possessing knocked-down S100A11 and appears to be involved in p21 protein destabilization. The application of a specific inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase 3 resulted in an increase of the p21 protein level in S100A11 down-regulated HaCaT cells. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 is able to phosphorylate p21 at T57, which induces p21 proteasomal turnover. Mutation of the glycogen synthase kinase 3 site threonine 57 into alanine (T57A) stabilizes p21 in HaCaT cells lacking S100A11. Beside decreased p21 protein, down-regulation of S100A11 triggered the induction of apoptosis in HaCaT cells. These observations suggest that S100A11 is involved in the maintenance of p21 protein stability and appears to function as an inhibitor of apoptosis in human HaCaT keratinocyte cells. Thus, the data shed light on a novel pathway regulating p21 protein stability., (© 2013 FEBS.)

Triple-negative breast cancer is characterized by aggressive tumours whose cells lack oestrogen and progesterone receptors and do not over-express HER2. It accounts for approximately 10-15% of breast cancer cases. We sought to generate a cellular model of chemotherapy drug resistance for this type of disease to provide the tools for the development of new therapies. Doxorubicin is a component of some chemotherapy regimes used to treat this form of cancer but resistance preventing disease eradication frequently occurs, mainly due to over-expression of drug transporters such as P-glycoprotein. CALDOX cells were generated by exposure of CAL51 to doxorubicin. Resistance to doxorubicin did not involve drug transporters, as the both parental and resistant cells accumulated doxorubicin to comparable levels. CALDOX cells had slower proliferation rate and an extended G1 cell cycle stage than the parental line, mainly due to an intrinsic activation of CDNK1 (p21), but this cell cycle block was not involved in the mechanism of resistance. CALDOX cells had reduced levels of TOP2A (topoisomerase IIα) and were cross resistant to the topoisomerase II inhibitors etoposide and mitoxantrone. CALDOX cells showed collateral sensitivity to carmustine due to the lack of O⁶-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) expression, related to the hypermethylation of its promoter. The collateral sensitivity of CALDOX cells to carmustine provides the rationale to evaluate MGMT promoter methylation status to design better therapeutic strategies for triple negative breast cancer., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Present chemotherapeutic regimens are marginally efficient in tumor cells being particularly resistant to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. We hypothesized that unresponsiveness of tumors to conventional therapeutic agents might be due to inappropriate gene expression resulting from epigenetic modifications and leading to transcriptional silencing. The goal of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of a histone deacetylase inhibitor, valproate, on mesothelioma cells in combination with pemetrexed and cisplatin, the usual first-line regimen of chemotherapy for this tumor., Experimental Design and Results: We show that valproate augments apoptosis induced by pemetrexed and cisplatin in mesothelioma cell lines and in tumor cells from patient's biopsies. Onset of apoptosis involves both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways requiring enzymatic activities of caspases 8 and 9, respectively. Valproate but not suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid efficiently stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species. The free radical scavenger N-acetylcysteine inhibits apoptosis, indicating that reactive oxygen species are major mediators of valproate activity. As expected, valproate alone or combined with pemetrexed and cisplatin triggers hyperacetylation of histone H3. Bid protein processing in truncated t-Bid and cytochrome c release from mitochondria are significantly increased in the presence of valproate, providing a mechanistic rationale for improvement of the proapoptotic efficacy of cisplatin and pemetrexed. Finally, valproate when combined with pemetrexed and cisplatin prevents tumor growth in mouse models of epithelioid mesothelioma., Conclusions: These observations support the potential additional efficacy of valproate in combination with pemetrexed and cisplatin for treatment of malignant mesothelioma.