Chemotherapy is an important strategy for the treatment of bladder cancer. However, the main problem limiting the success of chemotherapy is the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). To improve the management of bladder cancer, it is an urgent matter to search for strategies to reverse MDR. We chose three kinds of herbal medicines including ginsenoside Rh2, (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) to detect their effects on bladder cancer. Reversal effects of these three herbal medicines for drug resistance in adriamycin (ADM)-resistant Pumc-91 cells (Pumc-91/ADM) were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) cell proliferation assay system. The mechanisms of reversal effect for TMP were explored in Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells. After Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells were treated with TMP, cell cycle distribution analysis was performed by flow cytometry. The expression of MRP1, GST, BCL-2, LRP and TOPO-II was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) , immunefluorescence assay and western blot. It was observed that TMP was capable of enhancing the cytotoxicity of anticancer agents on Pumc-91/ADM cells in response to ADM, however Rh2 and EGCG were unable to. The reversal effect of TMP was also demonstrated in T24/DDP cells. Moreover, the treatment with TMP in Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells led to an increased of G1 phase accompanied with a concomitant decrease of cell numbers in S phase. Compared to the control group, an obvious decrease of MRP1, GST, BCL-2 and an increase of TOPO-II were shown in TMP groups with a dose-dependency in mRNA and protein levels. However, there was no difference on LRP expression between TMP groups and the control group. TMP could effectively reverse MDR of Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells and its mechanisms might be correlated with the alteration of MRP1, GST, BCL-2 and TOPO-II. TMP might be a potential candidate for reversing drug resistance in bladder cancer chemotherapy.
Background Dysosma versipellis ( D. versipellis ) has been traditionally used as a folk medicine for ages. However, the specific phytochemicals responsible for their correlated anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and antiviral activities remain unknown. Purpose This study aimed to explore the specific active components in D. versipellis responsible for its potential anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and antiviral effects, and further elucidate the corresponding mechanisms of action. Methods Bioaffinity ultrafiltration coupled to liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UF-LC/MS) was firstly hired to fast screen for the anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and antiviral compounds from rhizomes of D. versipellis , and then further validation was conducted using in vitro inhibition assays and molecular docking. Results A total of 12, 12, 9 and 12 phytochemicals with considerable affinities to Topo I, Topo II, COX-2 and ACE2 were fished out, respectively. The anti-proliferative assay in vitro indicated that podophyllotoxin and quercetin exhibited comparably strong inhibitory rates on A549 and HT-29 cells compared with 5-FU and etoposide. Meanwhile, kaempferol displayed prominent dose-dependent inhibition against COX-2 with IC 50 value at 0.36 ± 0.02 μM lower than indomethacin at 0.73 ± 0.07 μM. Furthermore, quercetin exerted stronger inhibitory effect against ACE2 with IC 50 value at 104.79 ± 8.26 μM comparable to quercetin 3- O -glucoside at 135.25 ± 6.54 μM. Conclusion We firstly showcased an experimental investigation on the correlations between bioactive phytochemicals of D. versipellis and their multiple drug targets reflecting its potential pharmacological activities, and further constructed a multi-target and multi-component network to decipher its empirical traditional applications. It could not only offer a reliable and valuable experimental basis to better comprehend the curative effects of D. versipellis but also provide more new insights and strategies for other traditional medicinal plants.