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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been spreading worldwide with a mind-boggling speed According to a statement from World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has infected more than six billions people and caused more than one and half million passing in the world Based on previous experience with SARS, the Taiwanese government had decided to block viral transmission during its early stages This review sums up the clinical characteristics, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral infection process, diagnostic methods, preventive strategy, and the executive proportions of COVID-19, as well as the name-based mask distribution system (NBMDS) in Taiwan We also give a review of the conceivable sub-atomic pharmacologic systems against SARS-CoV-2 specialists and the blend of remdesivir (GS-5734), chloroquine (CQ), and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) Lastly, we summarized the therapeutic agents against COVID-19 as mentioned by COVID-19 treatment guidelines In this review, development of novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 viral agents, vaccines for COVID-19 therapy or an effective combination therapy can be expected based on all the information accumulated Last but not least, we might want to stretch out our best respects to all medical providers in their worldwide battle against COVID-19

Novel quinazolinone compounds have been studied in the field of drug discovery for a long time. Among their broad range of pharmacological effects, certain compounds effectively inhibit cancer cell proliferation. MJ-33 is a quinazolinone derivative with proposed anticancer activities that was synthesized in our laboratory. The present study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity of MJ-33 in fluorouracil (5FU)-resistant colorectal cancer cells (HT-29/5FUR) and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The cell viability assay results indicated that HT-29/5FUR cell viability was inhibited by MJ-33 treatment in a concentration-dependent manner compared with the control group. The cellular morphological alterations observed following MJ-33 treatment indicated the occurrence of apoptosis and autophagy, as well as inhibition of cell proliferation in a time-dependent manner compared with the control group. The acridine orange, LysoTracker Red and LC3-green fluorescent protein staining results indicated that MJ-33 treatment significantly induced autophagy compared with the control group. The DAPI/TUNEL dual staining results demonstrated increased nuclear fragmentation and condensation following MJ-33 treatment compared with the control group. The Annexin V apoptosis assay and image cytometry analysis results demonstrated a significant increase in apoptotic cells following MJ-33 treatment compared with the control group. The western blotting results demonstrated markedly decreased Bcl-2, phosphorylated (p)-BAD, pro-caspase-9 and pro-caspase-3 expression levels, and notably increased cytochrome c and apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1 expression levels following MJ-33 treatment compared with the control group. Moreover, the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins, including autophagy related (ATG)-5, ATG-7, ATG-12, ATG-16, p62 and LC3-II, were increased following MJ-33 treatment compared with the control group. Furthermore, MJ-33-treated HT-29/5FUR cells displayed decreased expression levels of p-AKT and p-mTOR compared with control cells. The results suggested that MJ-33-induced apoptosis was mediated by AKT signaling, and subsequently modulated via the mitochondria-dependent signaling pathway. Therefore, the results suggested that suppression of AKT/mTOR activity triggered autophagy in the HT-29/5FUR cell line. In summary, the results indicated that MJ-33 inhibited HT-29/5FUR cell viability, and induced apoptosis and autophagy via the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The present study may provide novel insight into the anticancer effects and mechanisms underlying MJ-33 in 5FU-resistant colorectal cancer cells.

Background/Aim: Natural skin whiteners have been investigated for centuries. The development of preparations that safely achieve whitening of hyper-pigmented skin lesions is a challenge for the cosmetics industry. Furthermore, promoting rapid wound healing and minimizing inflammation in injured skin are key to prevent from abnormal pigmentation in scar tissue. Natural products, including the fungus Tremella fuciformis (TF), are attracting attention as potential sources of lead compounds for these applications. Materials and Methods: We investigated the in vitro effects of TF on melanogenesis in murine B16F10 cells. Melanin and tyrosinase levels were measured after treatment with TF. Wound healing in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (Detroit 551) was also determined via cell migration assay prior to TF exposure. Results: TF significantly decreased melanin content and tyrosinase expression in a concentration-dependent manner in B16F10 cells. Furthermore, TF promoted wound healing in human HaCaT keratinocytes and Detroit 551 fibroblasts. Conclusion: TF proved effectively on inhibiting melanogenesis and promoting wound healing in vitro, demonstrating its potential as a novel skin-whitening agent. However, further clinical studies of safety and efficacy are required.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor with aggressive behavior. Vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, is clinically used in melanoma, but resistance to melanoma cytotoxic therapies is associated with BRAF mutations. Curcumin can effectively inhibit numerous types of cancers. However, there are no reports regarding the correlation between curcumin and vemurafenib-resistant melanoma cells. In this study, vemurafenib-resistant A375.S2 (A375.S2/VR) cells were established, and the functional mechanism of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), serine-threonine kinase (AKT), and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling induced by curcumin was investigated in A375.S2/VR cells in vitro. Our results indicated that A375.S2/VR cells had a higher IC

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been spreading worldwide with a mind-boggling speed. According to a statement from World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has infected more than six billions people and caused more than one and half million passing in the world. Based on previous experience with SARS, the Taiwanese government had decided to block viral transmission during its early stages. This review sums up the clinical characteristics, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral infection process, diagnostic methods, preventive strategy, and the executive proportions of COVID-19, as well as the name-based mask distribution system (NBMDS) in Taiwan. We also give a review of the conceivable sub-atomic pharmacologic systems against SARS-CoV-2 specialists and the blend of remdesivir (GS-5734), chloroquine (CQ), and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Lastly, we summarized the therapeutic agents against COVID-19 as mentioned by COVID-19 treatment guidelines. In this review, development of novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 viral agents, vaccines for COVID-19 therapy or an effective combination therapy can be expected based on all the information accumulated. Last but not least, we might want to stretch out our best respects to all medical providers in their worldwide battle against COVID-19.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a bioactive phytochemical compound that is a constituent of dietary cruciferous vegetables, possesses promising chemopreventive and anticancer effects. However, reports of AITC exerting antitumor effects on apoptosis induction of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro are not well elucidated. The present study focused on the functional mechanism of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‑based apoptotic machinery induced by AITC in human colorectal cancer HT‑29 cells. Our results indicated that AITC decreased cell growth and number, reduced viability, and facilitated morphological changes of apoptotic cell death. DNA analysis by flow cytometry showed G2/M phase arrest, and alterations in the modulated protein levels caused by AITC were detected via western blot analysis. AITC also triggered vital intrinsic apoptotic factors (caspase‑9/caspase‑3 activity), disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, and stimulated mitochondrial‑related apoptotic molecules (e.g., cytochrome c, apoptotic protease activating factor 1, apoptosis‑inducing factor, and endonuclease G). Additionally, AITC prompted induced cytosolic Ca2+ release and Ca2+‑dependent ER stress‑related signals, such as calpain 1, activating transcription factor 6α, glucose‑regulated proteins 78 and 94, growth arrest‑ and DNA damage‑inducible protein 153 (GADD153), and caspase‑4. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was found to induce the hallmark of ER stress GADD153, proapoptotic marker caspase‑3, and calpain activity after AITC treatment. Our findings showed for the first time that AITC induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptotic death via ROS‑based ER stress and the intrinsic pathway (mitochondrial‑dependent) in HT‑29 cells. Overall, AITC may exert an epigenetic effect and is a potential bioactive compound for CRC treatment.

We investigated the association between blood pressure variability measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of blood pressure and hip fracture in older persons with diabetes. After excluding patients with acute complications and comorbidities, a positive association with similar magnitude of strength was found between BP variability and hip fracture, compared with that in the original analysis. Hypertension is a risk factor of osteoporosis and hip fracture, but studies have yet to investigate whether blood pressure variability measured by the CV of blood pressure can predict hip fracture in older persons with diabetes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 21,160 patients who suffered from type 2 diabetes (age ≥ 50 years) and participated in the National Diabetes Care Management Program in Taiwan. The patients’ 1-year variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at the baseline and subsequent hip fracture incidence for 8.2 years were analyzed. There were 937 recorded incident hip fractures. SBP-CV and DBP-CV were classified based on their tertiles. After multivariate adjustment was conducted, SBP-CV found to be a predictor of hip fracture, and its hazard ratio was 1.18 (95% CI 1.00–1.40) for the third tertile compared with the first tertile. Our study suggests SBP stability is a predictor for hip fracture incidence in older persons with type 2 diabetes.

Background and purpose No study has established a prediction dementia model in the Asian populations. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for dementia in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients. Methods The retrospective cohort study included 27 540 Chinese type 2 diabetes patients (aged 50-94 years) enrolled in the Taiwan National Diabetes Care Management Program. Participants were randomly allocated into derivation and validation sets at a 2:1 ratio. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify risk factors for dementia in the derivation set. Steps proposed by the Framingham Heart Study were used to establish a prediction model with a scoring system. Results The average follow-up was 8.09 years, with a total of 853 incident dementia cases in the derivation set. The dementia risk score summed up the individual scores (from 0 to 20). The areas under the curve of 3-, 5- and 10-year dementia risks were 0.82, 0.79 and 0.76 in the derivation set and 0.84, 0.80 and 0.75 in the validation set, respectively. Conclusions The proposed score system is the first dementia risk prediction model for Chinese type 2 diabetes patients in Taiwan.

Gadolinium (Gd) compounds are important as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, and are potential anticancer agents. However, no report has shown the effect of gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) on osteosarcoma in vitro. The present study investigated the apoptotic mechanism of GdCl3 on human osteosarcoma U-2 OS cells. Our results indicated that GdCl3 significantly reduced cell viability of U-2 OS cells in a concentration-dependent manner. GdCl3 led to apoptotic cell shrinkage and DNA fragmentation in U-2 OS cells as revealed by morphologic changes and TUNEL staining. Colorimetric assay analyses also showed that activities of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 and caspase-4 occurred in GdCl3-treated U-2 OS cells. Pretreatment of cells with pan-caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) and specific inhibitors of caspase-3/-8/-9 significantly reduced cell death caused by GdCl3. The increase of cytoplasmic Ca2+ level, ROS production and the decrease of mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨm) were observed by flow cytometric analysis in U-2 OS cells after GdCl3 exposure. Western blot analyses demonstrated that the levels of Fas, FasL, cytochrome c, Apaf-1, GADD153 and GRP78 were upregulated in GdCl3-treated U-2 OS cells. In conclusion, death receptor, mitochondria-dependent and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways contribute to GdCl3-induced apoptosis in U-2 OS cells. GdCl3 might have potential to be used in treatment of osteosarcoma patients.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a green tea polyphenol that presents anticancer activities in multiple cancer cells, but no available report was addressed for the underling molecular mechanism of cytotoxic impacts on drug-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of EGCG were experienced on cisplatin-resistant oral cancer CAR cells. EGCG inhibited cell viability in a time- and concentration-dependent manner by a sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. EGCG induced CAR cell apoptosis and autophagy by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) dye, acridine orange (AO) staining and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged LC3B assay, respectively. EGCG also significantly enhanced caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities by caspase activity assay. EGCG markedly increased the protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, Beclin-1, and LC3B-II, as well as significantly decreased the expression of Bcl-2, phosphorylated AKT (Ser473) and phosphorylation of STAT3 on Tyr705 by western blotting in CAR cells. Importantly, the protein and gene expression of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) were dose-dependently inhibited by EGCG. Overall, downregulation of MDR1 levels and alterations of AKT/STAT3 signaling contributed to EGCG-induced apoptosis and autophagy in CAR cells. Based on these results, EGCG has the potential for therapeutic effect on oral cancer and may be useful for long-term oral cancer prevention in the future. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 845-855, 2017.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) is becoming increasingly serious. In March 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated remdesivir for compassionate use to treat COVID-19. Thus, the development of novel antiviral agents, antibodies, and vaccines against COVID-19 is an urgent research subject. Many laboratories and research organizations are actively investing in the development of new compounds for COVID-19. Through in silico high-throughput virtual screening, we have recently identified compounds from the compound library of Natural Products Research Laboratories (NPRL) that can bind to COVID-19 3Lpropolyprotein and block COVID-19 3Lproactivity through in silico high-throughput virtual screening. Curcuminoid derivatives (including NPRL334, NPRL339, NPRL342, NPRL346, NPRL407, NPRL415, NPRL420, NPRL472, and NPRL473) display strong binding affinity to COVID-19 3Lpropolyprotein. The binding site of curcuminoid derivatives to COVID-19 3Lpropolyprotein is the same as that of the FDA-approved human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor (lopinavir) to COVID-19 3Lpropolyprotein. The binding affinity of curcuminoid derivatives to COVID-19 3Lprois stronger than that of lopinavir and curcumin. Among curcuminoid derivatives, NPRL-334 revealed the strongest binding affinity to COVID-19 3Lpropolyprotein and is speculated to have an anti-COVID-19 effect. In vitro and in vivo ongoing experiments are currently underway to confirm the present findings. This study sheds light on the drug design for COVID-19 3Lpropolyprotein. Basing on lead compound development, we provide new insights on inhibiting COVID-19 attachment to cells, reducing COVID-19 infection rate and drug side effects, and increasing therapeutic success rate.

Polygonum cuspidatum (Hu Zhang) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been revealed to exert anticancer, anti‑angiogenesis, anti‑human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), anti‑hepatitis B virus, anti‑microbial, anti‑inflammatory, and neuro‑protective bio‑activities. However, the effect of P. cuspidatum extract (PCE) on drug‑resistant human oral cancer cells regarding cell death is not fully understood yet. The present study was undertaken to explore the induction of autophagic and apoptotic cell death and to investigate their underlying molecular mechanisms in PCE‑treated cisplatin‑resistant human oral cancer CAR cells. Our results revealed that PCE was determined via HPLC analytic method, and it was revealed that resveratrol may be a major compound in PCE. The data also demonstrated that PCE reduced CAR cell viability in a concentration‑ and time‑dependent response via an MTT assay. PCE had an extremely low toxicity in human normal gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Autophagic and apoptotic cell death was found after PCE treatment by morphological determination. PCE was revealed to induce autophagy as determined using acridine orange (AO), LC3‑GFP, monodansylcadaverine (MDC) and LysoTracker Red staining in CAR cells. In addition, PCE was revealed to induce apoptosis in CAR cells via 4',6‑diamidino‑2‑phenylindole (DAPI)/terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick‑end labeling (TUNEL) double staining. PCE significantly stimulated caspase‑9 and ‑3 activities as revealed using caspase activity assays. PCE markedly increased the protein levels of Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, Beclin‑1, LC3, Bax and cleaved caspase‑3, while it decreased the protein expression of Bcl‑2 in CAR cells as determined by western blotting. In conclusion, our findings are the first to suggest that PCE may be potentially efficacious for the treatment of cisplatin‑resistant human oral cancer.

Pterostilbene is a natural polyphenolic compound that is primarily found in fruits, such as blueberries and has a similar structure to resveratrol. Pterostilbene exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity but the effects of pterostilbene on drug-resistant oral cancer cells and its underlying mechanisms of action have not yet been explored. Therefore, the present study was performed to clarify the anticancer effects of pterostilbene on cisplatin-resistant human oral cancer CAR cells. The results demonstrated that CAR cells exhibited marked shrinkage, cell membrane breakage and autophagic vacuole formation following treatment with pterostilbene. Pterostilbene also effectively inhibited cell viability and suppressed cell confluence in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Probing with acridine orange, monodansylcadaverine and LysoTracker Red demonstrated that the number of acidic vesicular organelles was increased, indicating increased autophagy. Furthermore, Heochst 33342 staining determined that DNA condensation, a characteristic of apoptosis, was enhanced following treatment with pterostilbene. Furthermore, pterostilbene upregulated mRNA levels of LC3-II and Atg12, as well as the expression of Atgs/Beclin-1/LC3-associated signaling, suggesting that it enhances autophagy. The autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine and chloroquine were used to confirm that pterostilbene induces autophagy. It was also determined that pterostilbene triggered caspase-dependent apoptosis by directly testing DNA breakage and using the pan-caspase inhibitor carbobenzoxyvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone. The results demonstrated that pterostilbene mediates the apoptosis of CAR cells via the intrinsic apoptotic cascade. In addition, pterostilbene inhibited MDR1 expression and the phosphorylation of AKT on the Ser473 site in CAR cells. Therefore, pterostilbene may elicit an oral anticancer response in drug-resistant cells and may be used as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant to treat patients with oral cancer.

Deguelin, a naturally occurring rotenoid of the flavonoid family, is known to be an Akt inhibitor, to have chemopreventive activities and anti-tumor effect on several cancers. In this study, investigation to elucidate the effect of deguelin on apoptotic pathways in human lung cancer cells and on the anti-tumor effect in lung cancer xenograft nu/nu mice was performed. In vitro studies, found that deguelin induced cell morphological changes, and decreased the percentage of viability through the induction of apoptosis in H460 lung cancer cells. Deguelin triggered apoptosis in H460 cells was also confirmed by DAPI staining, DNA gel electrophoresis, and Annexin V-FITC staining and these effects are dose-dependent manners. It was also found that deguelin promoted the Ca2+ production and activation of caspase-3 but decreased the level of ΔΨm in H460 cells. Western blots indicated that the protein levels of cytochrome c, AIF, and pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak protein were increased, but the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-x were decreased that may have led to apoptosis in H460 cells after exposure to deguelin. It was also confirmed by confocal laser microscope examination that deguelin promoted the release of AIF from mitochondria to cytosol. In vivo studies, found that in immunodeficient nu/nu mice bearing H460 tumor xenografts showed that the deguelin significantly suppressed tumor growth. Deguelin might be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of lung cancer in the future. This finding might fully support a critical event for deguelin via induction of apoptotic cell death and H460 tumor xenografts model against human lung cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 84-98, 2017.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a type of cancer with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide; it also demonstrates chemotherapeutic resistance. Triterpenoid ursolic acid has been shown to exhibit various biological activities and anticancer effects in several preclinical studies. In our previous study, human cisplatin‑resistant oral cancer CAR cells were established, and the present study aimed to further examine the effects of ursolic acid on CAR cells. The results revealed that ursolic acid inhibited CAR cell viability, as determined using a 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Ursolic acid‑induced cell death was mediated through a caspase‑dependent pathway, determined with the pan‑caspase inhibitor, z‑VAD‑fmk. Ursolic acid also increased the activities of caspase‑3 and caspase‑9 in CAR cells, determined by a colorimetric assay. Specifically, the production of reactive oxygen species and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, detected by flow cytometry, were observed in the ursolic acid‑treated CAR cells. The apoptosis‑associated signaling showed that ursolic acid decreased the phosphorylation of AKT (Ser473) and B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2)‑associated agonist of cell death (BAD; Ser136), and the protein levels of Bcl‑2 and Bcl‑extra large (Bcl‑xL), and increased the expression of BAD and Bcl‑2‑associated X (Bax) protein in CAR cells. In summary, the results supported the potential application of ursolic acid against drug‑resistant oral carcinoma and to improve oral anticancer efficacy in the near future.

Background/aim Gadoxetate disodium (Primovist or Eovist) is extensively used as a hepatospecific contrast agent during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. However, there is no information determining whether gadoxetate disodium has a cytotoxic impact and/or affects relative gene expression on liver cells. In the current study, we investigated the effects of gadoxetate disodium on cytotoxicity and the levels of gene expression in human normal Chang Liver cells. Materials and methods The cytotoxic effect was detected via methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. mRNA expression was monitored by cDNA microarray and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. The protein levels were determined by western blotting. Results Gadoxetate disodium at 5 and 10 mM failed to induce any cell cytotoxicity and morphological changes in Chang Liver cells. Our data demonstrated that gadoxetate disodium significantly enhanced the expression of 29 genes and suppressed that of 27. The SLCO1C1 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1C1) mRNA expression was also increased by 2.62-fold (p-value=0.0006) in gadoxetate disodium-treated cells. Furthermore, we also checked and found that gadoxetate disodium up-regulated organic anion transporter polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) protein level and increased OATP uptake transporter gene SLCO1C1 mRNA expression. Conclusion Our results provide evidence regarding that gadoxetate disodium might be no cytotoxic effects on liver cells.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, gastric and hepatobiliary comorbidities, and cancer share common risk factors: for example, tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity, high calorie intake, and metabolic disorders. Prior studies find type 2 diabetes and gastric and hepatobiliary comorbidities heightening risk of pancreatic cancer. Yet joint association of type 2 diabetes mellitus and gastric and hepatobiliary comorbidities on pancreatic cancer risk has not been assessed. Methods: This study rates independent/joint effects of type 2 diabetes as well as gastric and hepatobiliary comorbidity on pancreatic cancer risk for a retrospective population-based cohort of 166 850 type 2 diabetics identified in 1997–1998 and followed for 10–11 years, comparing their cancer incidence with that of 166 850 non-diabetics matched for age, gender, and locale. Time-dependent Cox's proportional hazards model evaluted joint association of type 2 diabetes and chronic conditions on pancreatic cancer risk. Results: A total of 1178 subjects were newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during follow-up, with incidence rates of 0.49 per 1000 person-years in type 2 diabetes and 0.26 per 1000 person-years in the non-diabetics. We observed greater magnitude of hazard ratios (HRs) of pancreatic cancer for patients with type 2 diabetes along with acute alcoholic hepatitis, acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and gastric ulcer compared with patients without type 2 diabetes or counterpart comorbidity (HR: 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19–1.56; 1.74, 1.23–2.45; 9.18, 7.44–11.33; and 2.31, 1.98–2.70, respectively). Main effects of type 2 diabetes were all statistically with narrow 95% CI and remained similar across risk stratification with various comorbidities: range 1.59–1.80. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that pre-existing type 2 diabetes, acute alcoholic hepatitis, acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and gastric ulcer independently or jointly predict subsequent pancreatic cancer risk. Clinicians must recognise burden of these gastric and hepatobiliary comorbidities and keep clinically vigilant for their diagnosis.

The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of 6-fluoro-2-(3-fluorophenyl)-4-(cyanoanilino) quinazoline (HMJ-30) on the anti-angiogenic properties and apoptosis-related mechanism of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this study, HMJ-30 dose- and time-dependently inhibited the viability of HUVECs. We also found that HMJ-30 enhanced disruption of tube-like structures and suppressed cell migration in HUVECs after vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induction. HMJ-30 was also observed to inhibit vessel branching and sprouting in chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Microsprouting induced by VEGF in the rat aortic ring and blood vessel formation in a mouse Matrigel plug were individually suppressed by HMJ-30. In an in vitro study, HMJ-30 induced the apoptotic death of HUVECs as indicated by DNA fragmentation and promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production as determined by flow cytometric assay. In addition, extrinsic caspase signaling (caspase-8 and -3) was activated in the HMJ-30-treated HUVECs and their inhibitors were applied to assess the signal transduction. We investigated the upstream of the death receptor pathway and further observed that the levels of death receptor 5 (DR5) and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signals were upregulated in HUVECs following HMJ-30 challenge, which was confirmed by a JNK-specific inhibitor (SP600125). Hence, HMJ-30-induced endothelial cell apoptosis involved the ROS/JNK-regulated DR5 pathway. In summary, HMJ-30 may provide a potential therapeutic effect for the anti-vascular targeting of angiogenesis during cancer treatment.

Irinotecan HCl (CPT-11) is an anticancer prodrug, but there is no available information addressing CPT-11-inhibited leukemia cells in in vitro and in vivo studies. Therefore, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of CPT-11 in promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells and in vivo and tumor growth in a leukemia xenograft model. Effects of CPT-11 on HL-60 cells were determined using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, comet assay, real-time PCR, and Western blotting. CPT-11 demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cell growth, induction of apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in HL-60 cells. CPT-11 promoted the release of AIF from mitochondria and its translocation to the nucleus. Bid, Bax, Apaf-1, caspase-9, AIF, Endo G, caspase-12, ATF-6b, Grp78, CDK2, Chk2, and cyclin D were all significantly upregulated and Bcl-2 was down-regulated by CPT-11 in HL-60 cells. Induction of cell-cycle arrest by CPT-11 was associated with changes in expression of key cell-cycle regulators such as CDK2, Chk2, and cyclin D in HL-60 cells. To test whether CPT-11 could augment antitumor activity in vivo, athymic BALB/c(nu/nu) nude mice were inoculated with HL-60 cells, followed by treatment with either CPT-11. The treatments significantly inhibited tumor growth and reduced tumor weight and volume in the HL-60 xenograft mice. The present study demonstrates the schedule-dependent antileukemia effect of CPT-11 using both in vitro and in vivo models. CPT-11 could potentially be a promising agent for the treatment of promyelocytic leukemia and requires further investigation.

Propofol is one of the most widely clinically used intravenous anesthetic, and it induces apoptosis in human and murine leukemia cell lines. Yet, whether propofol causes DNA damage and affects the mRNA expression of repair-associated genes in cancer cells remains undetermined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of propofol on DNA damage and associated mRNA gene expression in RAW264.7 cells. Comet assay and DNA gel electrophoresis were used to evaluate DNA damage in RAW264.7 cells and propofol-inhibited cell growth in vitro. The results revealed a longer DNA tail and DNA fragmentation. Real-time PCR assay was used to examine mRNA gene expression of DNA damage and DNA repair-associated genes. Following exposure to propofol for 48 h, a decrease in the mRNA expression of DNA-PK, BRCA1, MGMT and p53 was noted in the RAW264.7 cells. Results from the western blotting indicated that p53, MGMT, 14-3-3-σ, BRCA1 and MDC1 proteins were decreased while p-p53 and p-H2A.X(S140) were increased in the RAW264.7 cells following exposure to propofol. In conclusion, exposure to propofol caused DNA damage and inhibited mRNA expression and protein levels of repair-associated genes in RAW264.7 cells.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is the most frequently occurring malignant head and neck tumor, generally it exhibits a poor prognosis, and metastasis is the main cause of death in these cancer patients. The discovery of reliable prognostic indicators for tumors progression would greatly improve clinical treatments. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the degradation of mRNA and the inhibition of protein synthesis. The miRNAs function either as tumor suppressors or as oncogenes in tumorigenesis, and little is known about the clinical significance of miRNA expression profiles in oral cancers. In the present study, we investigated the expression profiles of miR-375, miR-204 and miR-196a in 39 healthy and tumor tissue pairs of oral cancer patients using TaqMan real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The predicted target genes for miR-375, miR-204 and miR-196a were confirmed using luciferase reporter-based assays and western blot analyses. In oral cancer tissue, the expression of miR-375 and miR-204 decreased, whereas the expression of miR-196a was significantly elevated. In OSCC, HOXB8 and p27 (CDKN1B) were the direct target genes of miR-196a, whereas HMGA2 was the direct target gene of miR-204. HOXB8 and p27 (CDKN1B) protein expression levels were inhibited by miR-196a, whereas the protein expression level of HMGA2 was inhibited by miR-204. Furthermore, the miR-196a inhibitor blocked cell proliferation. Our results indicate that the combined expression signatures of miR-375, miR-204 and miR-196a are promising biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of OSCC.

Phenothiazines (PTZs) have been used for the antipsychotic drugs for centuries. However, some of these PTZs have been reported to exhibit antitumor effects by targeting various signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo. Thus, this study was aimed at exploiting trifluoperazine, one of PTZs, to develop potent antitumor agents. This effort culminated in A4 [10-(3-(piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-2-(trifluoromethyl)-10H-phenothiazine] which exhibited multi-fold higher apoptosis-inducing activity than the parent compound in oral cancer cells. Compared to trifluoperazine, A4 demonstrated similar regulation on the phosphorylation or expression of multiple molecular targets including Akt, p38 and ERK. In addition, A4 induced autophagy, as evidenced by increased expression of the autophagy biomarkers LC3B-II and Atg5 and autophagosomes formation. The antitumor activity of A4 also related to production of reactive oxygen species and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase. Importantly, the antitumor utility of A4 was extended in vivo as it, administrated at 10 and 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally, suppressed the growth of Ca922 xenograft tumors. In conclusion, the ability of A4 to target diverse aspects of cancer cell growth suggests its value in oral cancer therapy.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a popular Chinese herbal medicine, which is considered to warm the stomach and dispel cold in traditional Chinese medicine. Ginger is widely used to treat stomach disorders, and it has been reported to exhibit antithrombotic activity via the inhibition of platelet aggregation and thromboxane B2 production in vitro. Cardiovascular disease is associated with the aberrant functioning of the heart and circulatory system; the relatively narrow vessels of the circulation are commonly affected and blocked by atherosclerosis, which may result in angina or heart attack. Numerous drugs and medicines are used to treat myocardial infarction; however, they are often associated with numerous side effects. Therefore, it is important to identify substitutive drugs with no unbearable side effects. In the present study, the relaxant effects of ginger crude extract (GCE) were determined on porcine coronary arteries. The DPPH radical scavenging assay, lucigenin‑enhanced chemiluminescence assay and western blot analysis were used to individually detect antioxidant assay of ginger extraction or superoxide anion produced by endothelial cells and molecular signaling. The results indicated that GCE induced relaxation of porcine coronary arteries in an endothelium‑dependent manner. GCE increased vasoprotection via the suppression of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase. In addition, GCE possessed antioxidant ability, as determined using 1,1‑diphenyl‑2‑picrylhydrazyl and lucigenin‑enhanced chemiluminescence assays. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that GCE exerts marked vasoprotective effects and free radical‑scavenging activities in porcine coronary arteries.

In the present study, we investigated the antitumor effects of Smh-3 on the viability, cell cycle and apoptotic cell death in human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B cells in vitro. We also investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the effects of Smh-3 on human hepatoma Hep3B cells, including the effects on protein and mRNA levels which were determined by western blotting and DNA microarray methods, respectively. The results demonstrated that Smh-3 induced growth inhibition, cell morphological changes and induction of G(2)/M arrest and apoptosis in Hep3B cells. DNA microarray assay identified numerous differentially expressed genes related to angiogenesis, autophagy, calcium-mediated ER stress signaling, cell adhesion, cell cycle and mitosis, cell migration, cytoskeleton organization, DNA damage and repair, mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and cell signaling pathways. Furthermore, Smh-3 inhibited CDK1 activity, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and increased the cytosolic Ca(2+) release and caspase-4, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities in Hep3B cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that Smh-3 increased the protein levels of caspase-4 and GADD153 that may lead to ER stress and consequently apoptosis in Hep3B cells. Taken together, Smh-3 acts against human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B cells in vitro through G(2)/M phase arrest and induction of calcium-mediated ER stress and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic signaling pathways.

The cytostatic drug from natural products has acted as a chemotherapeutic agent used in treatment of a wide variety of cancers. Apigenin, a type of flavonoid, exhibits anticancer actions, but there is no report to show that apigenin induced apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of apigenin on U-2 OS human osteosarcoma cells and clarify that the apigenin-induced apoptosis-associated signals. The cytotoxic effects of apigenin were examined by culturing U-2 OS cells with or without apigenin. The percentage of viable cells via PI staining, apoptotic cells, productions of ROS and Ca²⁺, and the level of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) were assayed by flow cytometry. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins were measured by immunoblotting. Results indicated that apigenin significantly decreased cell viability. Apigenin effectively induced apoptosis through the activations of caspase-3, -8, -9, and BAX and promoted the release of AIF in U-2 OS cells. In nude mice bearing U-2 OS xenograft tumors, apigenin inhibited tumor growth. In conclusion, apigenin has anticancer properties for induction of cell apoptosis in U-2 OS cells and suppresses the xenograft tumor growth. These findings offer novel information that apigenin possibly possesses anticancer activity in human osteosarcoma.

Quinazolinone compounds have been shown to have antitumor activity in many human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the anti-metastatic activity of MJ-33 (2-(3-ethoxyphenyl)-6-pyrrolidinylquinazolinone), a novel quinazolinone derivate, and the signaling pathway of MJ-33 in human prostate cells. MJ-33 exhibited a growth inhibitory effect on DU145, LNCaP and PC-3 cells by MTT assay. DU145 cells showed greater sensitivity to the growth inhibition of MJ-33 than that of LNCaP and PC-3 cells. MJ-33 also had an inhibitory effect on the invasion, migration and adhesion of DU145 cells using Boyden chamber transwell assays, wound-healing and adhesion assay. In addition, MJ-33 inhibited cell metastasis through the reduction of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) enzyme activities and protein levels by gelatin zymography assay and western blot analysis, respectively. MJ-33 reduced the protein levels of p-JNK, p-p38, p-ERK, p-AKT and nuclear NF-κB (p65), c-fos and c-Jun protein levels by western blotting. Using electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA), we demonstrated that MJ-33 blocked the activation of transcription factor AP-1 (activator protein-1) and NF-κB, which led to the inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Collectively, our data showed that MJ-33 decreased protein levels of MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases), AKT, AP-1 and NF-κB, resulting in the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases. Downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 reduces the invasion, migration and adhesion activities of DU145 cells. MJ-33 may be a promising agent against prostate cancer metastasis.

Emodin, an active natural anthraquinone derivative, is found in the roots and rhizomes of numerous Chinese medicinal herbs and exhibits anticancer effects on many types of human cancer cell lines. The aim of this study investigated that emodin induced apoptosis of human colon cancer cells (LS1034) in vitro and inhibited tumor nude mice xenografts bearing LS1034 in vivo. In in vitro study, emodin induced cell morphological changes, decreased the percentage of viability, induced G2/M phase arrest and increased ROS and Ca(2+) productions as well as loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) in LS1034 cells. Emodin-triggered apoptosis was also confirmed by DAPI staining and these effects are concentration-dependent. Western blot analysis indicated that the protein levels of cytochrome c, caspase-9 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 were increased in LS1034 cells after emodin exposure. Emodin induced the productions of ROS and Ca(2+) release, and altered anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and activations of caspase-9 and caspase-3 for causing cell apoptosis. In in vivo study, emodin effectively suppressed tumor growth in tumor nude mice xenografts bearing LS1034. Overall, the potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities of emodin suggest that it might be developed for treatment of colon cancer in the future.

Our earlier studies have demonstrated that gallic acid (GA) induced cytotoxic effects including induction of apoptosis and DNA damage and inhibited the cell migration and invasion in human cancer cells. However, GA-affected DNA damage and repair gene expressions in human prostate cancer cells are still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether or not GA induces DNA damage and inhibits DNA repair gene expression in a human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3). The results from flow cytometric assay indicated that GA decreased the percentage of viable PC-3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PC-3 cells after exposure to different doses (50, 100, and 200 μM) of GA and various periods of time (12, 24, and 48 h) led to a longer DNA migration smear (comet tail) occurred based on the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). These observations indicated that GA-induced DNA damage in PC-3 cells, which also confirmed by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. Alternatively, results from real-time polymerase chain reaction assay also indicated that GA inhibited ataxia telangiectasia mutated, ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related, O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, DNA-dependent serine/threonine protein kinase, and p53 mRNA expressions in PC-3 cells. Taken together, the present study showed that GA caused DNA damage and inhibited DNA repair genes as well as both effects may be the critical factors for GA-inhibited growth of PC-3 cells in vitro.

Many anticancer drugs are obtained from phytochemicals and natural products. However, some phytochemicals have mutagenic effects. Safrole, a component of Piper betle inflorescence, has been reported to be a carcinogen. We have previously reported that safrole induced apoptosis in human oral cancer cells in vitro and inhibited the human oral tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Until now, there is no information addressing if safrole promotes immune responses in vivo. To evaluate whether safrole modulated immune function, BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with murine myelomonocytic WEHI-3 leukemia cells to establish leukemia and then were treated with or without safrole at 4 and 16 mg/kg. Animals were sacrificed after 2 weeks post-treatment with safrole for examining the immune cell populations, phagocytosis of macrophages and the natural killer (NK) cells' cytotoxicity. Results indicated that safrole increased the body weight, and decreased the weights of spleen and liver in leukemic mice. Furthermore, safrole promoted the activities of macrophages phagocytosis and NK cells' cytotoxicity in leukemic mice when compared with untreated leukemic mice. After determining the cell marker population, we found that safrole promoted the levels of CD3 (T cells), CD19 (B cells) and Mac-3 (macrophages), but it did not affect CD11b (monocytes) in leukemic mice. In conclusion, safrole altered the immune modulation and inhibited the leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vivo.

Enhanced cruciferous vegetable consumption is associated with the reduction of cancer incidence as shown in epidemiological studies. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), one of the important compounds in cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to induce apoptosis in many types of human cancer cell lines, but there is no available information addressing the effects on normal and leukemia mice in vivo. The purpose of this study is to focus on the in vivo effects of PEITC on immune responses of normal and WEHI-3 leukemia BALB/c mice in vivo. Influences of PEITC on BALB/c mice after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection with WEHI-3 cells and normal mice were investigated. In normal BALB/c mice, PEITC did not affect the body weight when compared to the olive oil treated animals. Moreover, PEITC promoted phagocytosis by macrophages from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and peritoneal cavity, increased the levels of CD11b and Mac-3, decreased the level of CD19 and promoted natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity, but it did not alter the level of CD3. Also, PEITC enhanced T cell proliferation after concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation. Otherwise, PEITC increased the body weight, but decreased the weight of liver and spleen as compared to the olive oil-treated WEHI-3 leukemia mice. PEITC also increased the level of CD19, decreased the levels of CD3 and Mac-3 rather than influence in the level of CD11b, suggesting that the differentiation of the precursor of macrophages and T cells was inhibited, but the differentiation of the precursor of B cells was promoted in leukemia mice. Furthermore, PEITC enhanced phagocytosis by monocytes and macrophages from PBMC and peritoneal cavity, and also promoted the NK cell cytotoxic activity in comparison with the group of leukemia mice. Based on these observations, the biological properties of PEITC can promote immune responses in normal and WEHI-3 leukemia mice in vivo. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2013.

Safrole is one of important food-borne phytotoxin that exhibits in many natural products such as oil of sassafras and spices such as anise, basil, nutmeg, and pepper. This study was performed to elucidate safrole-induced apoptosis in human tongue squamous carcinoma SCC-4 cells. The effect of safrole on apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and DAPI staining and its regulatory molecules were studied by Western blotting analysis. Safrole-induced apoptosis was accompanied with up-regulation of the protein expression of Bax and Bid and down-regulation of the protein levels of Bcl-2 (up-regulation of the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2), resulting in cytochrome c release, promoted Apaf-1 level and sequential activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 in a time-dependent manner. We also used real-time PCR to show safrole promoted the mRNA expressions of caspase-3, -8, and -9 in SCC-4 cells. These findings indicate that safrole has a cytotoxic effect in human tongue squamous carcinoma SCC-4 cells by inducing apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis of SCC-4 cells by safrole is involved in mitochondria- and caspase-dependent signal pathways.

Anthraquinones have been shown to induce apoptosis in different types of tumor cells, but the mechanisms of danthron-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells have not been adequately explored. This study investigated the roles of caspase cascades, ROS, DNA damage, mitochondrial disruption, and Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in danthron-induced apoptosis of SNU-1 human gastric cancer cells, a commonly used cell culture system for in vitro studies. Cells were incubated with different concentrations of danthron in a time- and/or dose-dependent manner. Cell morphological changes (shrinkage and rounding) were examined by a phase-contrast microscope, whereas cell viability and apoptotic populations were determined by flow cytometric analysis using propidium iodide (PI) and annexin V-FITC staining. The fluorescent DAPI nucleic acid stain and Comet assay were applied to detect danthron-induced chromatin condensation (an apoptotic characteristic) and DNA damage. Increasing the levels of caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities was involved in danthron-induced apoptosis, and they could be attenuated by inhibitors of specific caspases, indicating that danthron triggered the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. Further studies with flow cytometric analyses indicated that cellular levels of ROS, cytosolic Ca(2+), and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore opening were increased, but the level of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) was decreased. Also, the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 levels and other proapoptotic proteins associated with modulating the ΔΨ(m) were up-regulated. Apoptotic signaling was also stimulated after exposure to danthron and determined by Western blotting and real-time PCR analyses. In summary, it is suggested that danthron-induced apoptotic cell death was involved in mitochondrial depolarization, which led to release of cytochrome c, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and endonuclease G (Endo G) and caused the activation of caspase-9 and -3 in SNU-1 human gastric cancer cells.

Antrodia camphorata has been recognized to be a traditional Chinese medicine for abdominal pain, diarrhea, and to protect against hepatitis virus infection. Several ingredients derived from A. camphorata possess various pharmacological and biological activities such as antioxidant and anticancer. In this study, its ability to promote immune responses and to exhibited antileukemia activity in WEHI-3 leukemia BALB/c mice were investigated. The results indicated A. camphorata significantly prolonged the survival rate and prevented the body weight loss in leukemia mice. Four mg/kg of A. camphorata treatment significantly decreased the weight of the spleen. Both doses (2 and 4 mg/kg) of A. camphorata did not affect Mac-3 marker in leukocytes. However, the 4 mg/kg of A. camphorata decreased the levels of CD11b and both doses of treatment increased CD3 and CD19. With lipopolysaccharide stimulation, the 4 mg/kg of A. camphorata promoted the significant proliferation of leukocytes; but with concanavalin A stimulation, both doses promoted the significant proliferation of leukocytes. YAC-1 target cells were killed by NK cells from the mice after treatment with A. camphorata at 4 mg/kg in target cells at a ratio of 50:1. The percentage of macrophages with phagocyted at A. camphorata treatment increased, and these effects were in dose-dependent manners.

Curcumin can decrease viable cells through the induction of apoptosis in human lung cancer NCI-H460 cells in vitro. However, there are no reports that curcumin can inhibit cancer cells in vivo. In this study, NCI-H460 lung tumour cells were implanted directly into nude mice and divided randomly into four groups to be treated with vehicle, curcumin (30 mg/kg of body weight), curcumin (45 mg/kg of body weight) and doxorubicin (8 mg/kg of body weight). Each agent was injected once every 4 days intraperitoneally (i.p.), with treatment starting 4 weeks after inoculation with the NCI-H460 cells. Treatment with 30 mg/kg and 45 mg/kg of curcumin or with 8 mg/kg of doxorubicin resulted in a reduction in tumour incidence, size and weight compared with the control group. The findings indicate that curcumin can inhibit tumour growth in a NCI-H460 xenograft animal model in vivo.

Danthron (1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone), is one of component from Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), has been shown several biological activities but did not show to induce apoptosis in human brain tumor cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms by danthron for the induction of apoptotic potential on human brain glioblastoma multiforms GBM 8401 cell line. Danthron showed a marked concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of GBM 8401 cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose-and time-dependent manner. There was an attenuation of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) with the alterations of Bcl-2/Bax protein ratio in GBM 8401 cells, indicating the participation of a mitochondria-related mechanism. Pretreatment of a caspase-8 inhibitor (Z-IETD-FMK), caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-FMK) and caspase-3 inhibitor (Z-DEVE-FMK) significantly increased the viable of GBM 8401 cells implied that the participations of caspases. Western blotting analysis also showed the activation of initiator caspase-8 and caspase-9, and executor caspase-3 in GBM 8401 cells. Meanwhile, danthron also promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytosolic Ca(2+) in GBM 8401 cells. Taken together, our data showed that danthron induced apoptosis in GBM 8401 cells through mitochondria-related and caspase-related pathways, and it may be further evaluated as a chemotherapeutic agent for human brain cancer.

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds found in various foods of plants. Rutin, one of the flavonoids, had been showed induced apoptosis in cancer cells. There is no available information to address rutin affects murine leukemia cells in vivo. In the present study, we are focused on the in vivo effects of rutin on leukemia WEHI-3 cells. The effects of rutin on WEHI-3 in BALB/c mice in vivo were also examined and the results indicated that rutin decreased the percentage of Mac-3 marker, indicating that the differentiation of the precursor of macrophage and T cells was inhibited. The weights of liver and spleen were decreased from rutin-treated groups compared to the control groups and the results indicated that rutin decreased the weight of these organs. One of the major characteristic of WEHI-3 leukemia is the enlarged spleen in murine after i.p. injection of WEHI-3 cells. After the pathological examination, the function of rutin was observed in the liver and spleen in the mice previously injected with WEHI-3 cells. Rutin promoted the activity of macrophage phagocytosis in cells which isolated from peritoneal (i.p.). Taken together, rutin can affect WEHI-3 cells in vivo.

Enhanced flavonoid consumption is closely related with a reduced cancer incidence as shown in epidemiological studies. Quercetin (3,5,7,3',4'-pentahydroxylflavone) is one of the active components of flavonoids which exist in natural plants, particularly in onions and fruits. It was reported that quercetin induced apoptosis in human cancer cell lines, including human leukemia HL-60 cells, but there is no available information as to its effects on leukemia cells in vivo. The purpose of the present studies was to focus on the in vivo effects of quercetin on leukemia WEHI-3 cells. The effects of quercetin on WEHI-3 cells injected into BALB/c mice were examined. Quercetin decreased the percentage of Mac-3 and CD11b markers, suggesting that the differentiation of the precursors of macrophages and T cells was inhibited. There was no effect on CD3 levels but increased CD19 levels. Quercetin decreased the weight of the spleen and liver compared with the olive oil treated animals. Quercetin stimulated macrophage phagocytosis of cells isolated from peritoneum. Quercetin also promoted natural killer cell activity. Based on pathological examination, an effect of quercetin was observed in the spleen of mice previously injected with WEHI-3 cells. Apparently, quercetin affects WEHI-3 cells in vivo.

Deguelin, a naturally occurring rotenoid of the flavonoid family, is known to be an Akt inhibitor, to have chemopreventive activities and anti-tumor effect on several cancers. In this study, investigation to elucidate the effect of deguelin on apoptotic pathways in human lung cancer cells and on the anti-tumor effect in lung cancer xenograft nu/nu mice was performed. In vitro studies, found that deguelin induced cell morphological changes, and decreased the percentage of viability through the induction of apoptosis in H460 lung cancer cells. Deguelin triggered apoptosis in H460 cells was also confirmed by DAPI staining, DNA gel electrophoresis, and Annexin V-FITC staining and these effects are dose-dependent manners. It was also found that deguelin promoted the Ca

Tetrandrine has been shown to reduce cancer cell proliferation and to inhibit metastatic effects in multiple cancer models in vitro and in vivo. However, the effects of tetrandrine on the underlying mechanism of HT29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell metastasis remain to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was focused on tetrandrine‑treated HT29 cells following epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment, and Transwell, gelatin zymography, gene expression and immunoblotting assays were performed to investigate metastatic effects in vitro. Tetrandrine was observed to dose‑dependently inhibit EGF‑induced HT29 cell invasion and migration, however, no effect on cell viability occurred following exposure to tetradrine between 0.5 and 2 µM. Tetrandrine treatment inhibited the enzymatic activity of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)‑2 and MMP‑9 in a concentration‑dependent manner. The present study also found a reduction in the mRNA expression levels of MMP‑2 and MMP‑9 in the tetrandrine‑treated HT29 cells. Tetrandrine also suppressed the phosphorylation of EGF receptor (EGFR) and its downstream pathway, including phosphoinositide‑dependent kinase 1, phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase and phosphorylated AKT, suppressing the gene expression of MMP‑2 and MMP‑9. Furthermore, tetrandrine triggered mitogen‑activated protein kinase signaling through the suppressing the activation of phosphorylated extracellular signal‑regulated protein kinase. These data suggested that targeting EGFR signaling and its downstream molecules contributed to the inhibition of EGF‑induced HT29 cell metastasis caused by tetrandrine, eventually leading to a reduction in the mRNA and gelatinase activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9, respectively.

Pterostilbene is an effective chemopreventive agent against multiple types of cancer cells. A novel pterostilbene derivative, ANK-199, was designed and synthesized by our group. Its antitumor activity and mechanism in cisplatin-resistant CAR human oral cancer cells were investigated in this study. Our results show that ANK-199 has an extremely low toxicity in normal oral cell lines. The formation of autophagic vacuoles and acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs) was observed in the ANK-199-treated CAR cells by monodansylcadaverine (MDC) and acridine orange (AO) staining, suggesting that ANK-199 is able to induce autophagic cell death in CAR cells. Neither DNA fragmentation nor DNA condensation was observed, which means that ANK-199-induced cell death is not triggered by apoptosis. In accordance with morphological observation, 3-MA, a specific inhibitor of PI3K kinase class III, can inhibit the autophagic vesicle formation induced by ANK-199. In addition, ANK-199 is also able to enhance the protein levels of autophagic proteins, Atg complex, beclin 1, PI3K class III and LC3-II, and mRNA expression of autophagic genes Atg7, Atg12, beclin 1 and LC3-II in the ANK-199-treated CAR cells. A molecular signaling pathway induced by ANK-199 was therefore summarized. Results presented in this study show that ANK-199 may become a novel therapeutic reagent for the treatment of oral cancer in the near future (patent pending).

Wogonin, a natural and biologically-active flavonoid found in plants, has been reported to exhibit anticancer effects on several cancer cell types. However, there is no available information regarding the responses to wogonin in leukemia mouse models. At concentrations of 10-200 μM, wogonin reduced the percentage of viable WEHI-3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In an in vivo study, WEHI-3 cells were intraperitoneally injected into normal BALB/c mice for establishing leukemic BALB/c mice to determine the anti-leukemia activity of wogonin. Wogonin increased the survival rate and the body weight of leukemic mice when compared to vehicle (olive oil)-treated groups. Furthermore, the results also revealed that wogonin increased the percentage of cluster of differentiation-3 CD3 (T-cell marker) and CD19 (B-cell marker) but reduced that of Mac-3 (macrophages) and CD11b (monocytes) cell surface markers in treated mice as compared with the untreated leukemia group. Based on these observations, wogonin might exhibit anti-leukemia effects on murine WEHI-3 cell line-induced leukemia in vivo.

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) has been found to present sources from consumed cruciferous vegetables. AITC is known to possess pharmacological and anticancer activities. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that AITC suppressed the invasion and migration of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated HT29 cells and to elucidate the mechanisms for the antimetastatic abilities in vitro . The invasion and migration of EGF-stimulated HT29 cells were determined individually by Transwell cell invasion and wound-healing assays. Our results showed that AITC effec-tively inhibited both the invasive and migratory ability of HT29 cells. Furthermore, AITC downregulated the protein levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9 and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (p-JNK, p-ERK and p-p38) by western blot analysis in HT29 cells following EGF induction. Thus, the metastatic responses in AITC-treated HT29 cells after EGF stimulation were mediated by the MMP-2/-9 and MAPK signaling pathways. We also used gene expression microarrays to investigate the gene levels related to cell growth, G-protein coupled receptor, angiogenesis, cell adhesion, cell cycle and mitosis, cell migration, cytoskeleton organization, DNA damage and repair, transcription and translation, EGFR and PKB/mTOR signals. In summary, it is possible that AITC suppresses the invasion and migration of EGF-induced HT29 cells, resulting from MMP-2/-9 and MAPKs. Hence, AITC may be beneficial in the treatment of human colorectal adenocarcinoma in the future.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the major polyphenol in green tea, and has been reported to have anticancer effects on many types of cancer cells. However, there is no report to show its effects on the immune response in a murine leukemia mouse model. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the effects of EGCG on the immune responses of murine WEHI-3 leukemia cells in vivo. WEHI-3 cells were intraperitoneally injected into normal BALB/c mice to establish leukemic BALB/c mice, which were then oral-treated with or without EGCG at 5, 20 and 40 mg/kg for two weeks. The results indicated that EGCG did not change the weight of the animals, nor the liver or spleen when compared to vehicle (olive oil) -treated groups. Furthermore, EGCG increased the percentage of cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) (T-cell), cluster of differentiation 19 (CD19) (B-cell) and Macrophage-3 antigen (Mac-3) (macrophage) but reduced the percentage of CD11b (monocyte) cell surface markers in EGCG-treated groups as compared with the untreated leukemia group. EGCG promoted the phagocytosis of macrophages from 5 mg/kg treatment and promoted natural killer cell activity at 40 mg/kg, increased T-cell proliferation at 40 mg/kg but promoted B-cell proliferation at all three doses. Based on these observations, it appears that EGCG might exhibit an immune response in the murine WEHI-3 cell line-induced leukemia in vivo.

Background This investigation clearly clarified the synthesized and antimitotic compound, 2-(3′-methoxyphenyl)-6-pyrrolidinyl-4-quinazolinone (HMJ-38), addressing its target and precise mechanism of action. We hypothesized that HMJ-38 might sensitize apoptotic death of human oral carcinoma CAL 27 cells in vitro and inhibit xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Methods Cell viability was assessed utilizing MTT assay. HMJ-38-treated cells represented DNA fragmentation using agarose gel electrophoresis as further evidenced using TUNEL staining. Flow cytometric analyses, immunoblotting and quantitative RT-PCR were applied for protein and gene expression. Antitumor xenograft study was employed. Results HMJ-38 concentration- and time-dependently reduced viability of CAL 27 cells. The effect of intrinsic molecules was signalized during HMJ-38 exposure with disruption of ΔΨm, MPT pore opening and the release of various events from mitochondria undergoing cell apoptosis. HMJ-38 also markedly facilitated G2/M phase arrest. HMJ-38 stimulated the activation of CDK1 activity that modulated phosphorylation on Ser70 of Bcl-2-mediated mitotic arrest and apoptosis. HMJ-38 triggered intracellular Ca2 + release and activated related pivotal hallmarks of ER stress. HMJ-38 in nude mice bearing CAL 27 tumor xenografts decreased tumor growth. Furthermore, HMJ-38 enhanced caspase-3 gene expression and protein level in xenotransplanted tumors. Conclusions Early roles of mitotic arrest, unfolded protein response and mitochondria-dependent signaling contributed to apoptotic CAL 27 cell demise induced by HMJ-38. In in vivo experiments, HMJ-38 also efficaciously suppressed tumor volume in a xenotransplantation model. General significance This finding might fully support a critical event for HMJ-38 via induction of apoptotic machinery and ER stress against human oral cancer cells.

Irinotecan HCl (CPT-11) is an anticancer prodrug, but there is no available information addressing CPT-11-inhibited leukemia cells in in vitro and in vivo studies. Therefore, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of CPT-11 in promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells and in vivo and tumor growth in a leukemia xenograft model. Effects of CPT-11 on HL-60 cells were determined using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, comet assay, real-time PCR, and Western blotting. CPT-11 demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cell growth, induction of apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in HL-60 cells. CPT-11 promoted the release of AIF from mitochondria and its translocation to the nucleus. Bid, Bax, Apaf-1, caspase-9, AIF, Endo G, caspase-12, ATF-6b, Grp78, CDK2, Chk2, and cyclin D were all significantly upregulated and Bcl-2 was down-regulated by CPT-11 in HL-60 cells. Induction of cell-cycle arrest by CPT-11 was associated with changes in expression of key cell-cycle regulators such as CDK2, Chk2, and cyclin D in HL-60 cells. To test whether CPT-11 could augment antitumor activity in vivo, athymic BALB/c(nu/nu) nude mice were inoculated with HL-60 cells, followed by treatment with either CPT-11. The treatments significantly inhibited tumor growth and reduced tumor weight and volume in the HL-60 xenograft mice. The present study demonstrates the schedule-dependent antileukemia effect of CPT-11 using both in vitro and in vivo models. CPT-11 could potentially be a promising agent for the treatment of promyelocytic leukemia and requires further investigation.

Kaempferol belongs to the flavonoid family and has been used in traditional folk medicine. Here, we investigated the antitumor effects of kaempferol on cell cycle arrest and autophagic cell death in SK-HEP-1 human hepatic cancer cells. Kaempferol decreased cell viability as determined by MTT assays and induced a G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in a concentration-dependent manner. Kaempferol did not induce DNA fragmentation, apoptotic bodies or caspase-3 activity in SK-HEP-1 cells as determined by DNA gel electrophoresis, DAPI staining and caspase-3 activity assays, respectively. In contrast, kaempferol is involved in the autophagic process. Double-membrane vacuoles, lysosomal compartments, acidic vesicular organelles and cleavage of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) were observed by transmission electron microscopy, LysoΤracker red staining, GFP-fluorescent LC3 assays and acridine orange staining, respectively. In SK-HEP-1 cells, kaempferol increased the protein levels of p-AMPK, LC3-II, Atg 5, Atg 7, Atg 12 and beclin 1 as well as inhibited the protein levels of CDK1, cyclin B, p-AKT and p-mTOR. Taken together, CDK1/cyclin B expression and the AMPK and AKT signaling pathways contributed to kaempferol-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and autophagic cell death in SK-HEP-1 human hepatic cancer cells. These results suggest that kaempferol may be useful for long-term cancer prevention.

Cancer metastasis becomes an initial cause of cancer death in human population. In many cancers, it has been shown that the high levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and/or MMP-9 are associated with the invasive phenotypes of cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of cantharidin, a derivative ofblister beetleswhich is one of the traditional Chinese medicines, on the adhesion, migration, and invasion of human bladder cancer TSGH-8301 cells. Cantharidin effectively suppressed TSGH-8301 cell adhesion, migration, and invasion in a concentration-dependent manner. Results from Western blotting, RT-PCR, and gelatin zymography assays indicated that cantharidin blocked the protein levels, gene expression (mRNA), and activities of MMP-2 and -9 in TSGH-8301 cells. Cantharidin also significantly suppressed the protein expressions of p-p38 and p-JNK1/2 in TSGH-8301 cells. Taken together, cantharidin was suggested to present antimetastatic potentialviasuppressing the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression that might be mediated by targeting the p38 and JNK1/2 MAPKs pathway in TSGH-8301 human bladder cancer cells.

The current study aims to investigate the antiangiogenic responses and apoptotic death of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by a newly synthesized compound named 2-(3′-methoxyphenyl)-6-pyrrolidinyl-4-quinazolinone (HMJ-38). This work attempted to not only explore the effects of angiogenesis on in vivo and ex vivo studies but also hypothesize the implications for HUVECs (an ideal cell model for angiogenesis in vitro) and further undermined apoptotic experiments to verify the underlying molecular signaling by HMJ-38. Our results demonstrated that HMJ-38 significantly inhibited blood vessel growth and microvessel formation by the mouse Matrigel plug assay of angiogenesis, and the suppression of microsprouting from the rat aortic ring assay was observed after HMJ-38 exposure. In addition, HMJ-38 disrupted the tube formation and blocked the ability of HUVECs to migrate in response to VEGF. We also found that HMJ-38 triggered cell apoptosis of HUVECs in vitro. HMJ-38 concentration-dependently suppressed viability and induced apoptotic damage in HUVECs. HMJ-38-influenced HUVECs were performed by determining the oxidative stress (ROS production) and ATM/p53-modulated Fas and DR4/DR5 signals that were examined by flow cytometry, Western blotting, siRNA and real-time RT-PCR analyses, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that p53-regulated extrinsic pathway might fully contribute to HMJ-38-provoked apoptotic death in HUVECs. In view of these observations, we conclude that HMJ-38 reduces angiogenesis in vivo and ex vivo as well as induces apoptosis of HUVECs in vitro. Overall, HMJ-38 has a potent anti-neovascularization effect and could warrant being a vascular targeting agent in the future.