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Proceedings of the National Academy of... May 2020Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest adult brain cancer, and all patients ultimately succumb to the disease. Radiation therapy (RT) provides survival benefit of 6 mo over...
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest adult brain cancer, and all patients ultimately succumb to the disease. Radiation therapy (RT) provides survival benefit of 6 mo over surgery alone, but these results have not improved in decades. We report that radiation induces a glioma-initiating cell phenotype, and we have identified trifluoperazine (TFP) as a compound that interferes with this phenotype conversion. TFP causes loss of radiation-induced Nanog mRNA expression, and activation of GSK3 with consecutive posttranslational reduction in p-Akt, Sox2, and β-catenin protein levels. TFP did not alter the intrinsic radiation sensitivity of glioma-initiating cells (GICs). Continuous treatment with TFP and a single dose of radiation reduced the number of GICs in vivo and prolonged survival in syngeneic and patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse models of GBM. Our findings suggest that the combination of a dopamine receptor antagonist with radiation enhances the efficacy of RT in GBM by preventing radiation-induced phenotype conversion of radiosensitive non-GICs into treatment-resistant, induced GICs (iGICs).
Topics: Animals; Brain Neoplasms; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine Antagonists; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred NOD; Mice, SCID; Phenotype; RNA, Messenger; Radiation Tolerance; Receptors, Dopamine; SOXB1 Transcription Factors; Trifluoperazine; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; beta Catenin
PubMed: 32358191
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920154117 -
Pharmaceutics Mar 2020Mertansine, a tubulin inhibitor, is used as the cytotoxic component of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer therapy. The effects of mertansine on uridine...
Mertansine, a tubulin inhibitor, is used as the cytotoxic component of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer therapy. The effects of mertansine on uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) activities in human liver microsomes and its effects on the mRNA expression of cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and UGTs in human hepatocytes were evaluated to assess the potential for drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Mertansine potently inhibited UGT1A1-catalyzed SN-38 glucuronidation, UGT1A3-catalyzed chenodeoxycholic acid 24-acyl-β-glucuronidation, and UGT1A4-catalyzed trifluoperazine -β-d-glucuronidation, with values of 13.5 µM, 4.3 µM, and 21.2 µM, respectively, but no inhibition of UGT1A6, UGT1A9, and UGT2B7 enzyme activities was observed in human liver microsomes. A 48 h treatment of mertansine (1.25-2500 nM) in human hepatocytes resulted in the dose-dependent suppression of mRNA levels of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP3A4, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, UGT1A1, and UGT1A9, with IC values of 93.7 109.1, 36.8 18.3, 160.6 167.4, 32.1 14.9, 578.4 452.0, 539.5 233.4, 856.7 781.9, and 54.1 29.1 nM, respectively, and decreased the activities of CYP1A2-mediated phenacetin -deethylase, CYP2B6-mediated bupropion hydroxylase, and CYP3A4-mediated midazolam 1-hydroxylase. These in vitro DDI potentials of mertansine with CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8/9/19, CYP3A4, UGT1A1, and UGT1A9 substrates suggest that it is necessary to carefully characterize the DDI potentials of ADC candidates with mertansine as a payload in the clinic.
PubMed: 32131538
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12030220 -
RSC Advances Jun 2020UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) and β-glucuronidase (GUS) catalyze entirely distinct metabolism reactions. UGTs are responsible for the glucuronidation of a variety...
UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) and β-glucuronidase (GUS) catalyze entirely distinct metabolism reactions. UGTs are responsible for the glucuronidation of a variety of drugs, endogenous and environmental chemicals, whereas GUS hydrolyzes glucuronides and liberates the parent substrates. Information on the overlap of ligand selectivity between UGT and GUS is essential for exploring the pharmacological or toxicological effects of the inhibitors of these two metabolic enzymes. This study is conducted to test whether UGTs and GUS share common ligands, by investigating the inhibitory effects towards GUS by a series of UGT typical substrates and inhibitors. Results showed that three typical ligands of UGTs, including two specific substrates (estradiol and trifluoperazine, E2 and TFP) and one selective inhibitor (magnolol, Mag), can inhibit the activity of GUS. Kinetic assays indicated that all the three UGT specific chemicals displayed competitive inhibition, with values of 31.4 (E2), 56.9 (TFP), and 16.6 μM (Mag). Docking studies further revealed that the three chemicals can enter the active sites of GUS by forming contacts with residues Glu-413, Trp-549, Asp-163, Tyr-472, Arg-562, or bound water. Our study indicates that ligand selectivity overlaps between UGTs and GUS, and some chemicals can act as co-inhibitors of these two metabolic enzymes. The pharmacological or toxicological effects of those co-inhibitors require further investigations.
PubMed: 35520305
DOI: 10.1039/d0ra02311f -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry Aug 2021Repair of damaged plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells is largely dependent on the binding of annexin repair proteins to phospholipids. Changing the biophysical...
Repair of damaged plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells is largely dependent on the binding of annexin repair proteins to phospholipids. Changing the biophysical properties of the plasma membrane may provide means to compromise annexin-mediated repair and sensitize cells to injury. Since, cancer cells experience heightened membrane stress and are more dependent on efficient plasma membrane repair, inhibiting repair may provide approaches to sensitize cancer cells to plasma membrane damage and cell death. Here, we show that derivatives of phenothiazines, which have widespread use in the fields of psychiatry and allergy treatment, strongly sensitize cancer cells to mechanical-, chemical-, and heat-induced injury by inhibiting annexin-mediated plasma membrane repair. Using a combination of cell biology, biophysics, and computer simulations, we show that trifluoperazine acts by thinning the membrane bilayer, making it more fragile and prone to ruptures. Secondly, it decreases annexin binding by compromising the lateral diffusion of phosphatidylserine, inhibiting the ability of annexins to curve and shape membranes, which is essential for their function in plasma membrane repair. Our results reveal a novel avenue to target cancer cells by compromising plasma membrane repair in combination with noninvasive approaches that induce membrane injuries.
Topics: Annexins; Antipsychotic Agents; Calcium; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Membrane; Humans; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Neoplasms; Phenothiazines; Phosphatidylserines; Phospholipids
PubMed: 34324830
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101012 -
American Journal of Cancer Research 2020Brain metastasis is a major cause of mortality in melanoma patients. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents most anti-tumor compounds from entering the brain, which...
Brain metastasis is a major cause of mortality in melanoma patients. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents most anti-tumor compounds from entering the brain, which significantly limits their use in the treatment of brain metastasis. One strategy in the development of new treatments is to assess the anti-tumor potential of drugs currently used in the clinic. Here, we tested the anti-tumor effect of the BBB-penetrating antipsychotic trifluoperazine (TFP) on metastatic melanoma. H1 and Melmet1 human metastatic melanoma cell lines were used in vitro and in vivo. TFP effects on viability and toxicity were evaluated in proliferation and colony formation assays. Preclinical, therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in NOD/SCID mice, after intracardial injection of tumor cells. Molecular studies using immunohistochemistry, western blots, immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy were used to gain mechanistic insight into the biological activity of TFP. Our results showed that TFP decreased cell viability and proliferation, colony formation and spheroid growth in vitro. The drug also decreased tumor burden in mouse brains and prolonged animal survival after injection of tumor cells (53.0 days vs 44.5 days), TFP treated vs untreated animals, respectively (P < 0.01). At the molecular level, TFP treatment led to increased levels of LC3B and p62 in vitro and in vivo, suggesting an inhibition of autophagic flux. A decrease in LysoTracker Red uptake after treatment indicated impaired acidification of lysosomes. TFP caused accumulation of electron dense vesicles, an indication of damaged lysosomes, and reduced the expression of cathepsin B, a main lysosomal protease. Acridine orange and galectin-3 immunofluorescence staining were evidence of TFP induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization. Finally, TFP was cytotoxic to melanoma brain metastases based on the increased release of lactate dehydrogenase into media. Through knockdown experiments, the processes of TFP-induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization and cell death appeared to be STAT3 dependent. In conclusion, our work provides a strong rationale for further clinical investigation of TFP as an adjuvant therapy for melanoma patients with metastases to the brain.
PubMed: 32195026
DOI: No ID Found -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta.... May 2021Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability globally. Edema is a hallmark of stroke resulting from dysregulation of water...
Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability globally. Edema is a hallmark of stroke resulting from dysregulation of water homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) and plays the major role in stroke-associated morbidity and mortality. The overlap between cellular and vasogenic edema makes treating this condition complicated, and to date, there is no pathogenically oriented drug treatment for edema. Water balance in the brain is tightly regulated, primarily by aquaporin 4 (AQP4) channels, which are mainly expressed in perivascular astrocytic end-feet. Targeting AQP4 could be a useful therapeutic approach for treating brain edema; however, there is no approved drug for stroke treatment that can directly block AQP4. In this study, we demonstrate that the FDA-approved drug trifluoperazine (TFP) effectively reduces cerebral edema during the early acute phase in post-stroke mice using a photothrombotic stroke model. This effect was combined with an inhibition of AQP4 expression at gene and protein levels. Importantly, TFP does not appear to induce any deleterious changes on brain electrolytes or metabolic markers, including total protein or lipid levels. Our results support a possible role for TFP in providing a beneficial extra-osmotic effect on brain energy metabolism, as indicated by the increase of glycogen levels. We propose that targeting AQP4-mediated brain edema using TFP is a viable therapeutic strategy during the early and acute phase of stroke that can be further investigated during later stages to help in developing novel CNS edema therapies.
Topics: Animals; Aquaporin 4; Biomarkers; Brain; Disease Models, Animal; Glycogen; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Protein Aggregates; Stroke; Trifluoperazine
PubMed: 33561476
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183573 -
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2021Microglia and astrocytes are the glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) to support neurodevelopment and neuronal function. Yet, their activation in association...
Inhibitory Effects of Trifluoperazine on Peripheral Proinflammatory Cytokine Expression and Hypothalamic Microglia Activation in Obese Mice Induced by Chronic Feeding With High-Fat-Diet.
Microglia and astrocytes are the glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) to support neurodevelopment and neuronal function. Yet, their activation in association with CNS inflammation is involved in the initiation and progression of neurological disorders. Mild inflammation in the periphery and glial activation called as gliosis in the hypothalamic region, arcuate nucleus (ARC), are generally observed in obese individuals and animal models. Thus, reduction in peripheral and central inflammation is considered as a strategy to lessen the abnormality of obesity-associated metabolic indices. In this study, we reported that acute peripheral challenge by inflammagen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) upregulated the expression of hypothalamic dopamine type 2 receptor (D2R) mRNA, and chronic feeding by high-fat-diet (HFD) significantly caused increased levels of D2R in the ARC. The and studies indicated that an FDA-approved antipsychotic drug named trifluoperazine (TFP), a D2R inhibitor was able to suppress LPS-stimulated activation of microglia and effectively inhibited LPS-induced peripheral inflammation, as well as hypothalamic inflammation. Further findings showed daily peripheral administration intraperitoneally (i.p.) by TFP for 4 weeks was able to reduce the levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in accompany with lower levels of plasma glucose and insulin in obese mice receiving HFD for 16 weeks when compared those in obese mice without TFP treatment. In parallel, the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the ARC was also inhibited by peripheral administration by TFP. According to our results, TFP has the ability to suppress HFD-induced ARC gliosis and inflammation in the hypothalamus.
PubMed: 34764855
DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.752771 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2019Repurposing existing drugs for cancer treatment is an effective strategy. An approved antipsychotic drug, trifluoperazine (TFP), has been reported to have potential...
Repurposing existing drugs for cancer treatment is an effective strategy. An approved antipsychotic drug, trifluoperazine (TFP), has been reported to have potential anticancer effects against several cancer types. Here, we investigated the effect and molecular mechanism of TFP in colorectal cancer (CRC). studies showed that TFP induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest to dramatically inhibit CRC cell proliferation through downregulating cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2, CDK4, cyclin D1, and cyclin E and upregulating p27. TFP also induced apoptosis, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased reactive oxygen species levels in CRC cells, indicating that TFP induced mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis. Importantly, TFP significantly suppressed tumor growth in two CRC subcutaneous tumor models without side effects. Interestingly, TFP treatment increased the expression levels of programmed death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) in CRC cells and programmed death-1 (PD-1) in tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, implying that the combination of TFP with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, such as an anti-PD-L1 or anti-PD-1 antibody, might have synergistic anticancer effects. Taken together, our study signifies that TFP is a novel treatment strategy for CRC and indicates the potential for using the combination treatment of TFP and immune checkpoint blockade to increase antitumor efficiency.
PubMed: 31572198
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01029 -
The International Journal of... Feb 2022Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by mutations in the FMR1 gene. It is a form of heritable intellectual disability and autism. Despite recent advance in elucidating...
BACKGROUND
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by mutations in the FMR1 gene. It is a form of heritable intellectual disability and autism. Despite recent advance in elucidating disease mechanisms, there is no efficacious medication. Because de novo drug development is a lengthy process, repurposing the existing FDA-approved drugs offers an opportunity to advance clinical intervention for FXS. Our previous study with transcriptome analysis predicts potential therapeutic effects of vorinostat on FXS.
METHODS
We analyzed the vorinostat-induced transcriptome changes and confirmed its similarity to that induced by trifluoperazine, which was previously shown to correct pathological outcomes associated with FXS. To validate the therapeutic efficacy, we examined vorinostat's effect on correcting the key behavioral and cellular symptoms in a mouse model of FXS.
RESULTS
We found that vorinostat restores object location memory and passive avoidance memory in the Fmr1 knockout mice. For the non-cognitive behavioral symptoms, vorinostat corrected the autism-associated alterations, including repetitive behavior and social interaction deficits. In the open field test, vorinostat dampened hyperactivity in the center area of the arena. Surprisingly, vorinostat did not correct the abnormally elevated protein synthesis in cultured Fmr1 knockout hippocampal neurons, suggesting that different aspects of pathological outcomes may respond differently to a specific therapeutic intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
We used the drug-induced transcriptome signature to predict new application of existing drugs. Our data reveal the therapeutic effects of the FDA-approved drug vorinostat in a mouse model of FXS.
Topics: Animals; Cognition; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Repositioning; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein; Fragile X Syndrome; Gene Expression Profiling; Hippocampus; Male; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Neurons; Transcriptome; Vorinostat
PubMed: 34791268
DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab081 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Virus-related diseases are seriously threatening human health, but there are currently only 10 viruses with clinically approved antiviral drugs available. As...
Virus-related diseases are seriously threatening human health, but there are currently only 10 viruses with clinically approved antiviral drugs available. As non-cellular organisms, viruses parasitize in living cells and rely on the protein synthesis mechanism of the host cells. In this study, we found that the antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine (TFP), a dual dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2)/calmodulin (CALM) antagonist, increases the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), a key factor in the regulation of protein synthesis and significantly inhibits vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication. CALM but not DRD2 is involved in the antiviral activity of TFP. By knockdown of protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) we found that the antiviral function of TFP is dependent on PERK, a stress response kinase that mediates eIF2α phosphorylation. Furthermore, the results of animal experiments showed that TFP protects mice from lethal VSV attacks, improving the survival rate and reducing lung injury. Taken together, these data suggests that TFP inhibits virus replication through PERK-eIF2α axis, and this broad-spectrum of mechanisms are worth further evaluation in clinical trials in the future.
PubMed: 36386620
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.979904