KAOHSIUNG JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
·
2025
·
IF 3.1
Qing Su,Jia Chen
Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SIONFH) is a debilitating orthopedic condition. This study investigated the mechanism of Tanshinone I (TsI) in SIONFH modulating apoptosis in SIONFH via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. A SIONFH rat model was treated with TsI and a PI3K activator. Bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) were determined by microCT. Empty lacunae count, Osteopontin, and apoptosis of the femoral head tissues were assessed. Levels of Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, Bcl-2, and AKT, PI3K, and mTOR phosphorylation in femoral head tissues were determined by Western blot. SIONFH rats exhibited decreased BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, and Tb.Th, increased Tb.Sp, reduced Osteopontin-positive cells, increased empty lacunae rate, and TUNEL and Osteopontin co-positive cells, elevated Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 protein levels, and diminished Bcl-2 protein expression. TsI promoted osteogenesis, attenuated SIONFH, and reduced apoptosis in SIONFH rats. TsI inhibited AKT, PI3K, and mTOR phosphorylation levels in the femoral head tissues of SIONFH rats, thereby repressing the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation. Activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway partially reversed TsI's effect in rats. Collectively, TsI limited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation to reduce osteocyte apoptosis in SIONFH rats, which provided potential therapeutic insights for SIONFH treatment.
研究领域:
骨科学
·
分子药理学
·
细胞生物学
·
信号转导
·
中医药学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Oncotarget
·
2017
·
IF 5.168
Qicheng Chen,Li Ye,Jiajun Fan,Xuyao Zhang,Huan Wang,Siyang Liao,Ping Song,Ziyu Wang,Shaofei Wang,Yubin Li,Jingyun Luan,Yichen Wang,Wei Chen,Wenjing Zai,Ping Yang,Zhonglian Cao,Dianwen Ju
Asparaginase has been reported to be effective in the treatment of various leukemia and several malignant solid cancers. However, the anti-tumor effect of asparaginase is always restricted due to complicated mechanisms. Herein, we investigated the mechanisms of how glioblastoma resisted asparaginase treatment and reported a novel approach to enhance the anti-glioblastoma effect of asparaginase. We found that asparaginase could induce growth inhibition and caspase-dependent apoptosis in U87MG/U251MG glioblastoma cells. Meanwhile, autophagy was activated as indicated by autophagosomes formation and upregulated expression of LC3-II. Importantly, abolishing autophagy using chloroquine (CQ) and LY294002 enhanced the cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by asparaginase in U87MG/U251MG cells. Further study proved that Akt/mTOR and Erk signaling pathways participated in autophagy induction, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) served as an intracellular regulator for both cytotoxicity and autophagy in asparaginase-treated U87MG/U251MG cells. Moreover, combination treatment with autophagy inhibitor CQ significantly enhanced anti-glioblastoma efficacy of asparaginase in U87MG cell xenograft model. Taken together, our results demonstrated that inhibition of autophagy potentiated the anti-tumor effect of asparagine depletion on glioblastoma, indicating that targeting autophagy and asparagine could be a potential approach for glioblastoma treatment.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
药理学
·
细胞生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Oncotarget
·
2015
·
IF 6.359
Ping Song,Li Ye,Jiajun Fan,Yubin Li,Xian Zeng,Ziyu Wang,Shaofei Wang,Guoping Zhang,Ping Yang,Zhonglian Cao,Dianwen Ju
The antitumor enzyme asparaginase, which targets essential amino acid L-asparagine and catalyzes it to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, has been used for years in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), subtypes of myeloid leukemia and T-cell lymphomas, whereas the anti-chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) effect of asparaginase and its underlying mechanism has not been completely elucidated. We have shown here that asparaginase induced significant growth inhibition and apoptosis in K562 and KU812 cells. Apart from induction of apoptosis, we reported for the first time that asparaginase induced autophagic response in K562 and KU812 cells as evidenced by the formation of autophagosome, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-positive autophagy-like vacuoles, and the upregulation of LC3-II. Further study suggested that the Akt/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and Erk (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) signaling pathway were involved in asparaginase-induced autophagy in K562 cells. Moreover, blocking autophagy using pharmacological inhibitors LY294002, chloroquine (CQ) and quinacrine (QN) enhanced asparaginase-induced cell death and apoptosis, indicating the cytoprotective role of autophagy in asparaginase-treated K562 and KU812 cells. Together, these findings provide a rationale that combination of asparaginase anticancer activity and autophagic inhibition might be a promising new therapeutic strategy for CML.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
血液学
·
分子生物学
·
细胞生物学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
·
2014
·
IF 2.114
Jing Lu,Duanping Sun,Si Gao,Ying Gao,Jiantao Ye,Peiqing Liu
Autophagy is a highly regulated and multi-step biological process that serves to remove damaged cytoplasmic components and organelles. It has been suggested that the activation of autophagy may be a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment by triggering cell death. In this study, we reported that cyclovirobuxine D (CVB-D), an alkaloid component in a traditional Chinese herb, could induce autophagy in the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. CVB-D inhibited the viability of MCF-7 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Activation of autophagy was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, monodansylcadaverine staining, and expression of autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3). After CVB-D treatment, a clear accumulation of autophagosomes was observed accompanied with elevated LC3 fluorescent puncta. Western blot analysis revealed that CVB-D significantly promoted the conversion from LC3-I to LC3-II and the expression of autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5), which are both essential for autophagosome formation. On the other hand, CVB-D–induced autophagy and decrease in cell viability could be blocked by 3-methyladenine, a well-established autophagy inhibitor. Moreover, CVB-D attenuated the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, two pivotal suppressors in autophagy pathways. These findings shed new light on the pharmacological actions and mechanism of CVB-D and may support the potential utility of autophagy inducers in cancer treatment.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
药理学
·
细胞生物学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
POULTRY SCIENCE
·
2026
·
IF 4.5
Yi Fang,Hongyu Fu,Xuehan Jiang,Hongxue Yang,Yishan Yin,Bo Li,Xiaoxiao Chen,Bendong Shi,Jingzeng Cai,Ziwei Zhang
Deoxynivalenol (DON), as the most prevalent mycotoxin, not only poses a significant threat to animal and human health but also exerts pronounced adverse effects on growth and development. Quercetin (QUE), a naturally occurring antioxidant, is known to promote muscle growth and differentiation. In this study, a DON-exposed broiler model with QUE intervention was established to investigate the protective mechanisms of QUE against DON-induced skeletal muscle toxicity. Eighty broilers were randomly divided into four groups: CON group, DON group, QUE group, and DON+QUE group. Each group received oral administration of 10 mg/kg DON and/or 4 mg/kg QUE. For in vitro experiments, myoblasts were used as experimental subjects to establish intervention models with LY294002, Z-VAD-FMK, and IBS008738. This study demonstrates that DON exposure induces oxidative stress and apoptosis (increased by 329%) in both in vivo muscle tissue and in vitro myoblasts, inhibits the expression of myogenic regulatory factors such as MYH2, and consequently leads to structural muscle damage and developmental impairment. Crucially, we identified that QUE effectively alleviated DON-induced oxidative stress (CAT activity increased by 45.1%), apoptosis (nearly completely inhibited), and muscle developmental disorders (MYH2 increased by 35.2%) by upregulating the transcription and phosphoprotein expression levels of genes associated with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. The pivotal role of this pathway was further confirmed by the fact that the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 abolished the protective effects of QUE. Moreover, inhibition of apoptosis, but not promotion of myogenesis, directly alleviated DON-induced muscle defects, establishing apoptosis as the causative event. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that QUE alleviated DON-induced apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, thereby mitigating muscle development disorders.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MICROVASCULAR RESEARCH
·
2021
·
IF 3.514
Yi-hua Zhou,Yu-zhi Tang,Liang-yun Guo,Li-li Zheng,Dan Zhang,Can-ying Yang,Wei Wang
Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a circulating antiangiogenic protein, is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS), and the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Here, we attempted to investigate the mechanism of action of sFlt-1 in AS. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to induce cell injury. ox-LDL treatment increased LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, Beclin-1 expression and GFP-LC3 puncta in HUVECs, suggesting that ox-LDL may induce autophagic flux impairment in HUVECs. ox-LDL-treated HUVECs displayed a decrease of sFlt-1 levels. Moreover, ox-LDL treatment reduced cell proliferation and elevated apoptosis in HUVECs, which was abrogated by sFlt-1 overexpression. Up-regulation of sFlt-1 repressed the activity of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and enhanced autophagy in HUVECs following ox-LDL treatment. Additionally, sFlt-1 overexpression-mediated increase of autophagy in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs was abolished by 3-methyladenine (autophagy inhibitor). 3-methyladenine abrogated the impact of sFlt-1 overexpression on proliferation and apoptosis in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. This work confirmed that overexpression of sFlt-1 activated autophagy by repressing PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, and thus alleviated ox-LDL-induced injury of HUVECs. Therefore, this study suggests that sFlt-1 may be a potential target for AS treatment.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
·
2019
·
IF 4.257
Yong Ling,Yangyang Li,Rui Zhu,Jianqiang Qian,Ji Liu,Weijie Gao,Chi Meng,Jiefei Miao,Biao Xiong,Xiaodong Qiu,Changchun Ling,Hong Dai,Yanan Zhang
Naturally occurring β-carbolines are known to have antitumor activities but with limited effectiveness. In order to improve their efficacy, a series of new hydroxamic-acid-containing β-carbolines connected via a hydroxycinnamic acid moitey (12a–f) were developed to incorporate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition for possible synergistic effects. When evaluated in in vitro assays, most of the analogues showed significant antitumor activities against four human cancer cells. In particular, 12b showed the highest cytotoxic potency of the series, including drug-resistant Bel7402 cells, but had minimal effect on normal hepatic LO2 cells. These compounds also showed excellent inhibitory effects against HDAC1/6, which appear to contribute greatly to their antiproliferative properties. Compound 12b enhanced the acetylation levels of histone H3 and α-tubulin and induced greater cancer cell apoptosis than the FDA-approved HDAC inhibitor SAHA by regulating expression of apoptotic proteins Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase 3. Importantly, 12b also induced a significant amount of autophagic flux activity in Bel7402 cells by increasing the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3-II proteins and decreasing that of LC3-I and p62. Finally, 12b significantly inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, an important cell-growth-promoting pathway aberrantly activated in many cancers. Together, the results suggest that these hydroxamic-acid-containing β-carboline derivatives may be new leads for the discovery of agents for the treatment of human carcinoma cancers.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
·
2020
·
IF 3.782
Peng Zhu,Jianqiang Qian,Zhongyuan Xu,Chi Meng,Ji Liu,Wenpei Shan,Weizhong Zhu,Yongjun Wang,Yumin Yang,Wei Zhang,Yanan Zhang,Yong Ling
The natural products piperlongumine and piperine have been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation through elevation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) and eventually cell death, but only have modest cytotoxic potencies. A series of 14 novel phenylallylidenecyclohexenone analogues based on piperlongumine and piperine therefore were designed and synthesized, and their pharmacological properties were evaluated. Most of the compounds produced antiproliferative activities against five human cancer cells with IC50 values lower than those of piperlongumine and piperine. Among these, compound 9m exerted the most potent antiproliferative activity against drug-resistant Bel-7402/5-FU human liver cancer 5-FU resistant cells (IC50 = 0.8 μM), which was approximately 10-fold lower than piperlongumine (IC50 = 8.4 μM). Further, 9m showed considerably lower cytotoxicity against LO2 human normal liver epithelial cells compared to Bel-7402/5-FU. Mechanistically, compound 9m inhibited thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity, increased ROS levels, reduced mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP), and induced autophagy in Bel-7402/5-FU cells via regulation of autophagy-related proteins LC3, p62, and beclin-1. Finally, 9m activated significantly the p38 signaling pathways and suppressed the Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. In conclusion, 9m could be a promising candidate for the treatment of drug-resistant cancer cells and, as such, warrants further investigation.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMISTRY & BIODIVERSITY
·
2023
·Vol. 20
·期 4
·e202200523
·
IF 2.9
Zhonghua An,Xuelin Feng,Mengjia Sun,Yifan Wang,Hongbo Wang,Yanling Gong
Chamomile essential oil (CEO) is extracted from chamomile and mainly used in aromatherapy. The chemical constituents and its antitumor activity on Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was explored in the present study. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was employed to analyze the chemical constituents of CEO. The cell viability, migration and invasion of TNBC cell MDA-MB-231 were measured using MTT, wound scratch and Transwell assay, respectively. The protein expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was determined by Western blot. CEO is rich in terpenoids (63.51 %), among which the identified terpenoids and their derivatives are mainly Caryophyllene (29.57 %), d-Cadinene (12.81 %), Caryophyllene oxide (14.51 %), etc. Three concentration of CEO (1, 1.5, 2 μg/mL) significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells with a dose dependent manner. Moreover, the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt and mTOR was inhibited by CEO. The results revealed that there was abundant terpenoids in the CEO which account for 63.51 %. CEO significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, exhibiting antitumor effect on TNBC. The antitumor effect of CEO might attribute to its inhibition on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. However, further study should be conducted in more TNBC cell lines and animal models to provide further evidence for TNBC treatment by CEO.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIOLOGICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN
·
2023
·Vol. 46
·期 6
·764-772
·
IF 2
Xin Zhang,Zhifang Liang,Ying Zhou,Fang Wang,Shan Wei,Bing Tan,Yujie Guo
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is an early developing complication of diabetes mellitus associated with nerve dysfunction. Artesunate (ART), a natural compound extracted from the herb Artemisia annua L., was reported to benefit neural injury. However, whether ART has a role in preventing DPN is still unknown. In this study, a rat model of DPN with a high fat diet feeding and streptozotocin (STZ) injection was established. The findings indicated that ART treatment significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia-induced hot plate reaction latency (HPRL) decline, cold sensitivity and mechanical allodynia, and nerve injury by inhibiting sciatic nerve apoptosis. Further, ART restored high glucose (HG)-induced elevated apoptosis and deficient survival in rat neuronal Schwann cells, RSC96 cells. We demonstrated that ART promoted protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation as well as its downstream factor mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in vivo and in vitro. Of note, the protective effects of ART in RSC96 cells under HG condition could be counteracted by LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. Taken together, ART mitigated hyperglycemia-induced nerve injury by suppressing apoptosis and promoting the viability of Schwann cells via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2022
·
IF 6.656
Zhonghao Li,Qinmei Sun,Qingyang Liu,Xinru Mu,Hui Wang,Han Zhang,Fenfen Qin,Qisheng Wang,Dengyun Nie,Anlong Liu,Qian Li,Jianjian Ji,Yongwei Jiang,Shengfeng Lu,Qian Wang,Zhigang Lu
Background Opioids are widely used in clinical practice. However, their long-term administration causes respiratory depression , addiction, tolerance, and severe immunosuppression . Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can alleviate opioid-induced adverse effects. Compound 511 is particularly developed for treating opioid addiction, based on Jiumi Liangfang, an ancient Chinese drug treatment and rehabilitation monograph completed in 1833 A.D. It is an herbal formula containing eight plants, each of them contributing to the overall pharmacological effect of the product: Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (8.8%), Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) (18.2%), Datura metel Linn. (10.95%), Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang (14.6%), Acanthopanar gracilistμlus W. W. Smith (10.95%), Ophiopogon japonicus (Linn. f.) Ker-Gawl. (10.95%), Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (10.95%), Polygala arvensis Willd. (14.6%). This formula effectively ameliorates opioid-induced immunosuppression. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Purpose To reveal the effects of Compound 511 on the immune response of morphine-induced immunosuppressive mice and their potential underlying molecular mechanism. This study provides information for a better clinical approach and scientific use of opioids. Methods Immunosuppression was induced in mice by repeated morphine administration. Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg cell levels were measured using flow cytometry. Splenic transcription factors of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg and outputs of the regulatory PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway were determined. Subsequently, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was administered intranasally to morphine-induced immunosuppressive mice pretreated with Compound 511. Their lung inflammatory status was assessed using micro-computer tomography (CT), hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Compared to morphine, Compound 511 significantly decreased the immune organ indexes of mice, corrected the Th1/Th2 and Treg/Th17 imbalance in the immune organs and peripheral blood, reduced the mRNA levels of FOXP3 and GATA3 , and increased those of STAT3 and T-bet in the spleen . It improved immune function and reduced MRSA-induced lung inflammation. Conclusion Compound 511 ameliorates opioid-induced immunosuppression by regulating the balance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Thus, it effectively reduces susceptibility of morphine-induced immunosuppressive mice to MRSA infection .
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Cancers
·
2024
·Vol. 16
·期 5
·885
·
IF 4.5
Qianrui Huang,Mengling Wu,Yamin Pu,Junyou Zhou,Yiqian Zhang,Ru Li,Yong Xia,Yiwen Zhang,Yimei Ma
Simple SummaryThe objective of drug repurposing is to discover novel therapeutic uses for established pharmaceuticals. Paroxetine (PX), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, has demonstrated promising anticancer properties in experimental studies. Nevertheless, its precise role and mechanisms of action in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain incompletely elucidated. Our research findings propose that PX may impact TNBC by modulating critical molecular pathways, providing significant implications for enhancing chemosensitivity and identifying potential therapeutic synergies in clinical practice. These findings provide a basis for the creation of individualized treatment plans and the identification of the most effective therapeutic interventions to enhance treatment precision and effectiveness in patients with TNBC.AbstractThe strategy of drug repurposing has gained traction in the field of cancer therapy as a means of discovering novel therapeutic uses for established pharmaceuticals. Paroxetine (PX), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor typically utilized in the treatment of depression, has demonstrated promise as an agent for combating cancer. Nevertheless, the specific functions and mechanisms by which PX operates in the context of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain ambiguous. This study aimed to examine the impact of PX on TNBC cells in vitro as both a standalone treatment and in conjunction with other pharmaceutical agents. Cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, apoptosis was assessed through flow cytometry, and the effects on signaling pathways were analyzed using RNA sequencing and Western blot techniques. Furthermore, a subcutaneous tumor model was utilized to assess the in vivo efficacy of combination therapy on tumor growth. The results of our study suggest that PX may activate the Ca2+-dependent mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis pathway in TNBC by potentially influencing the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway as well as by inducing cytoprotective autophagy. Additionally, the combination of PX and chemotherapeutic agents demonstrated moderate inhibitory effects on 4T1 tumor growth in an in vivo model. These findings indicate that PX may exert its effects on TNBC through modulation of critical molecular pathways, offering important implications for improving chemosensitivity and identifying potential therapeutic combinations for clinical use.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
药理学
·
分子生物学
·
癌症治疗
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）