Melanoma is one of the most lethal cancers originating from melanocytes. Its incidence and mortality have been rising rapidly for several decades and have posed a serious threat to human health. Current melanoma treatments are hindered by the scope of application, low efficiency, high cost, and toxic side effects. Due to their affordability and minimal side effects, natural bioactive compounds derived from plants are promising candidates for melanoma treatment. This study aims to delve into the isolation, purification, and characterization of potato proteins and to explore their potential in melanoma treatment. Two potato proteins, patatin PP-1 and aspartate protease inhibitor PP-2, were isolated and purified by a newly developed method in this work, and their physicochemical properties were systematically characterized. Both potato proteins showed great antiproliferative activities and migration inhibition effects on melanoma cells. Meanwhile, Western blotting results illustrated that they could induce endogenous cell apoptosis by regulating the Bax/Bcl-2 pathway. Notably, aspartate protease inhibitor PP-2 demonstrated the best performance in inhibiting the growth and migration of melanoma cells, which might be attributed to the combined effect of its significant antioxidative activity and the inhibition effect of certain necessary protease activities in melanoma. This study provides valuable insights for developing nutraceuticals and therapeutic strategies against melanoma, which can lead to breakthroughs in melanoma treatment.
Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a common disease, with currently no available treatment. Galangin, a natural flavonoid extracted from Alpinia officinaruim Hance, has multiple effects demonstrated in previous studies. The aim of the present study was to explore the anti-fibrogenic effect of galangin in vitro, and research its potential molecular mechanisms. LX-2 cells were chosen as an in vitro HF model, and were treated with galangin in different concentrations. Cell viability was analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, cell apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry, and the anti-fibrogenic effect of galangin was determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence, and western blotting. The results show that the proliferation of LX-2 cells was efficiently inhibited by galangin, and apoptosis was induced in a dose-dependent manner. Both the mRNA and protein expression of α-SMA and collagen I were markedly downregulated. Galangin also inhibited the PI3K/Akt and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways and increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The results of this study suggest that galangin has an anti-fibrogenic effect and may represent a promising agent in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.
Dan Han,Meihua Wang,Ningyu Dong,Jiaxing Zhang,Dingran Li,Xiaoling Ma,Ying Ma,Siliang Wang,Yun Zhu,Cheng Wang
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) hold great promise as carriers for developing drug delivery systems (DDSs) aimed at managing ischemic stroke (IS). Previous research has highlighted the vital role played by the lipid composition and biophysical characteristics of LNPs, influencing their interactions with cells and tissues. This understanding presents an opportunity to engineer LNPs tailored specifically for enhanced IS treatment. We previously introduced the innovative concept of reconstituted lipid nanoparticles (rLNPs), which not only retain the advantages of conventional LNPs but also incorporate lipids from the originating cell or tissue. Brain-derived rLNPs (B-rLNPs) exhibit significantly superior accumulation within the cerebral ischemic region when compared to liver-derived rLNPs (L-rLNPs). The homing effect of B-rLNPs was then employed to construct 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) loaded DDS (B-rLNPs/NBP) for the treatment of IS. Our results demonstrated that compared with free NBP, B-rLNPs/NBP can significantly reduce infarct volume, neurological deficits, blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage rate, brain water content, neutrophil infiltration, alleviate pathological structures, and improve the motor function in MCAO/R model. We also proved that B-rLNPs/NBP showed further reinforced protective effects on the same model than free NBP through the regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB (anti-inflammation) and Bax/Bcl-2 (anti-apoptosis) pathways. This study offers a promising tool towards improved IS treatment.
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