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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Apigenin, a naturally derived flavonoid, is increasingly being acknowledged for its potential therapeutic applications, especially in oncology. This research explores...
Apigenin, a naturally derived flavonoid, is increasingly being acknowledged for its potential therapeutic applications, especially in oncology. This research explores apigenin's capacity to modulate cancer cell viability, emphasizing its roles beyond its minimal antioxidant activity attributed to its basic molecular structure devoid of hydroxyl groups. We investigated apigenin's effects on two breast cancer cell lines, estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and non-estrogen-dependent MDA-MB-231 cells. Our findings reveal that apigenin exerts a dose-dependent cytotoxic and anti-migratory impact on these cells. Interestingly, both apigenin and doxorubicin-a standard chemotherapeutic agent-induced lipid droplet accumulation in a dose-dependent manner in MDA-MB-231 cells. This phenomenon was absent in MCF-7 cells and not evident when doxorubicin and apigenin were used concurrently, suggesting distinct cellular responses to these treatments that imply that their synergistic effects might be mediated through mechanisms unrelated to lipid metabolism. A further chemoinformatics analysis indicated that apigenin and doxorubicin might interact primarily at the level of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins, with potential indirect influences from the AKT and MYC signaling pathways. These results highlight the importance of understanding the nuanced interactions between apigenin and conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, as they could lead to more effective strategies for cancer treatment. This study underscores apigenin's potential as a modulator of cancer cell dynamics through mechanisms independent of its direct antioxidant effects, thereby contributing to the development of flavonoid-based adjunct therapies in cancer management.
Topics: Humans; Apigenin; Doxorubicin; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; MCF-7 Cells; Cell Movement; Signal Transduction; Cell Proliferation; Drug Synergism
PubMed: 38893482
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112603 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, from the anthracycline class, which is genotoxic to neoplastic cells via a DNA intercalation mechanism. It is...
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, from the anthracycline class, which is genotoxic to neoplastic cells via a DNA intercalation mechanism. It is effective and universal; however, it also causes numerous side effects. The most serious of them are cardiotoxicity and a decrease in the number of myeloid cells. For this reason, targeted DOX delivery systems are desirable, since they would allow lowering the drug dose and therefore limiting systemic side effects. Recently, synthetic dyes, in particular Congo red (CR), have been proposed as possible DOX carriers. CR is a planar molecule, built of a central biphenyl moiety and two substituted naphthalene rings, connected with diazo bonds. In water, it forms elongated ribbon-shaped supramolecular structures, which are able to selectively interact with immune complexes. In our previous studies, we have shown that CR aggregates can intercalate DOX molecules. In this way, they preclude DOX precipitation in water solutions and increase its uptake by MCF7 breast cancer cells. In the present work, we further explore the interactions between DOX, CR, and their aggregates (CR/DOX) with phospholipid membranes. In addition to neutral molecules, the protonated doxorubicin form, DXP, is also studied. Molecular dynamics simulations are employed to study the transfer of CR, DOX, DXP, and their aggregates through POPC bilayers. Interactions of CR, DOX, and CR/DOX with model monolayers are studied with Langmuir trough measurements. This study shows that CR may support the transfer of doxorubicin molecules into the bilayer. Both electrostatic and van der Waals interactions with lipids are important in this respect. The former promote the initial stages of the insertion process, the latter keep guest molecules inside the bilayer.
Topics: Doxorubicin; Phospholipids; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Congo Red; Humans; Lipid Bilayers; Drug Carriers; MCF-7 Cells
PubMed: 38893446
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112567 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Breast cancer is a major health concern and the leading cause of death among women worldwide. Standard treatment often involves surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy,...
Breast cancer is a major health concern and the leading cause of death among women worldwide. Standard treatment often involves surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, but these come with side effects and limitations. Researchers are exploring natural compounds like baicalin and baicalein, derived from the plant, as potential complementary therapies. This study investigated the effects of baicalin and baicalein on the cytotoxic, proapoptotic, and genotoxic activity of doxorubicin and docetaxel, commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs for breast cancer. The analysis included breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human endothelial cells (HUVEC-ST), to assess potential effects on healthy tissues. We have found that baicalin and baicalein demonstrated cytotoxicity towards both cell lines, with more potent effects observed in baicalein. Both flavonoids, baicalin (167 µmol/L) and baicalein (95 µmol/L), synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic, proapoptotic, and genotoxic activity of doxorubicin and docetaxel in breast cancer cells. In comparison, their effects on endothelial cells were mixed and depended on concentration and time. The results suggest that baicalin and baicalein might be promising complementary agents to improve the efficacy of doxorubicin and docetaxel anticancer activity. However, further research is needed to validate their safety and efficacy in clinical trials.
Topics: Humans; Flavonoids; Flavanones; Docetaxel; Doxorubicin; MCF-7 Cells; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Female; DNA Damage; Drug Synergism; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Survival; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
PubMed: 38893380
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112503 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Among brain tumors, glioblastoma (GBM) is very challenging to treat as chemotherapeutic drugs can only penetrate the brain to a limited extent due to the blood-brain...
The Application of Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles (2 nm) Functionalized with Doxorubicin in Three-Dimensional Normal and Glioblastoma Organoid Models of the Blood-Brain Barrier.
Among brain tumors, glioblastoma (GBM) is very challenging to treat as chemotherapeutic drugs can only penetrate the brain to a limited extent due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Nanoparticles can be an attractive solution for the treatment of GBM as they can transport drugs across the BBB into the tumor. In this study, normal and GBM organoids comprising six brain cell types were developed and applied to study the uptake, BBB penetration, distribution, and efficacy of fluorescent, ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (AuTio-Dox-AF647s) conjugated with doxorubicin (Dox) and AlexaFluor-647-cadaverine (AF647) by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), using a mixture of dissolved doxorubicin and fluorescent AF647 molecules as a control. It was shown that the nanoparticles could easily penetrate the BBB and were found in normal and GBM organoids, while the dissolved Dox and AF647 molecules alone were unable to penetrate the BBB. Flow cytometry showed a reduction in glioblastoma cells after treatment with AuTio-Dox nanoparticles, as well as a higher uptake of these nanoparticles by GBM cells in the GBM model compared to astrocytes in the normal cell organoids. In summary, our results show that ultrasmall gold nanoparticles can serve as suitable carriers for the delivery of drugs into organoids to study BBB function.
Topics: Doxorubicin; Glioblastoma; Metal Nanoparticles; Gold; Humans; Blood-Brain Barrier; Organoids; Brain Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor
PubMed: 38893345
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112469 -
Nutrients May 2024Probiotics have garnered increasing attention as a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Previous studies have confirmed that subsp....
Probiotics have garnered increasing attention as a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Previous studies have confirmed that subsp. MN-Gup (MN-Gup) could stimulate the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in NCI-H716 cells, but whether MN-Gup has a hypoglycemic effect on T2DM in vivo remains unclear. In this study, a T2DM mouse model was constructed, with a high-fat diet and streptozotocin in mice, to investigate the effect of MN-Gup on diabetes. Then, different doses of MN-Gup (2 × 10 CFU/kg, 1 × 10 CFU/kg) were gavaged for 6 weeks to investigate the effect of MN-Gup on glucose metabolism and its potential mechanisms. The results showed that a high-dose of MN-Gup significantly reduced the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of T2DM mice compared to the other groups. In addition, there were significant increases in the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially acetate, and GLP-1 levels in the MN-Gup group. MN-Gup increased the relative abundance of and decreased the number of and . Moreover, the correlation analysis revealed that demonstrated a significant positive correlation with GLP-1 and a negative correlation with the incremental AUC. In summary, this study demonstrates that subsp. MN-Gup has significant hypoglycemic effects in T2DM mice and can modulate the gut microbiota, promoting the secretion of SCFAs and GLP-1.
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Probiotics; Bifidobacterium animalis; Blood Glucose; Mice; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Male; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Insulin Resistance; Diet, High-Fat; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Streptozocin; Bifidobacterium
PubMed: 38892624
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111691 -
Nutrients May 2024Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global public health concern, prompting the ongoing search for new treatment options. Medicinal plants have emerged as one...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global public health concern, prompting the ongoing search for new treatment options. Medicinal plants have emerged as one such alternative. Our objective was to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of an extract from the leaves of (). For this purpose, T2DM was first induced in mice using a high-fat diet and low doses of streptozotocin. Subsequently, an aqueous extract or an ethanolic extract of leaves was administered for 21 days. The following relevant results were found: fasting blood glucose levels were reduced by up to 41%, and by 29% after an oral glucose overload. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was reduced by 59%. Histopathologically, better preservation of pancreatic tissue was observed. Regarding oxidative stress parameters, there was an increase of up to 48% in superoxide dismutase (SOD), an increase in catalase (CAT) activity by 35% to 80%, and a decrease in lipid peroxidation (MDA) by 35% to 80% in the liver, kidney, or pancreas. Lastly, regarding the lipid profile, triglycerides (TG) were reduced by up to 30%, total cholesterol (TC) by 35%, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) by up to 32%, while treatments increased high-density lipoproteins (HDL) by up to 35%. With all the above, we can conclude that leaves showed antihyperglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effects, making this species promising for the treatment of T2DM.
Topics: Animals; Plant Leaves; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Plant Extracts; Hypoglycemic Agents; Diet, High-Fat; Passiflora; Mice; Male; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Oxidative Stress; Streptozocin; Insulin Resistance; Pancreas; Antioxidants; Liver; Lipids; Phytotherapy
PubMed: 38892601
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111669 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024The bleomycin-induced scleroderma model is a well-established and dependable method for creating a mouse model of SSc (systemic sclerosis). In the field of skin...
The bleomycin-induced scleroderma model is a well-established and dependable method for creating a mouse model of SSc (systemic sclerosis). In the field of skin connective tissue diseases, increasing evidence from clinical and animal experiments suggests that TLRs (Toll-like receptors) play an important role in several diseases. This study aimed to determine the role of TLR7 (Toll-like receptor 7) and TLR9 (Toll-like receptor 9) in the mechanisms of immune abnormalities and fibrosis in SSc. This study used TLR7-KO mice (TLR7-knockout mice with a balb/c background) and TLR9-KO mice (TLR9-knockout mice with a balb/c background) as well as WT mice (wild-type balb/c mice). All three kinds of mice were induced by BLM (bleomycin) in a scleroderma model as the experimental group; meanwhile, WT mice treated with PBS (phosphate-buffered saline) were used as the control group. We analyzed the fibrotic phenotype and the immunological abnormality phenotype of TLR7-deficient and TLR9-deficient mice in the SSc disease model using flow cytometry, RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), a histological examination, and IHC (immunohistochemical staining). In a mouse model of SSc disease, the deletion of TLR7 attenuated skin and lung fibrosis, while the deletion of TLR9 exacerbated skin and lung fibrosis. The deletion of TLR7 resulted in a relative decrease in the infiltration and expression of various pro-inflammatory and fibrotic cells and cytokines in the skin. On the other hand, the deletion of TLR9 resulted in a relative increase in the infiltration and expression of various pro-inflammatory and cytokine-inhibiting cells and cytokines in the skin. Under the influence of pDCs (plasmacytoid dendritic cells), the balances of Beff/Breg (IL-6 + CD19 + B cell/IL-10 + CD19 + B cell), Th17/Treg (IL-17A + CD4 + T cell/Foxp3 + CD25 + CD4 + T cell), M1/M2 (CD86 + macrophage/CD206 + macrophage), and Th1/Th2 (TNFα + CD3 + CD4 + T cell/IL-4 + CD3 + CD4 + T cell) were biased towards the suppression of inflammation and fibrosis as a result of the TLR7 deletion. Comparatively, the balance was biased towards promoting inflammation and fibrosis due to the TLR9 deletion. In the SSc model, TLR7 promoted inflammation and fibrosis progression, while TLR9 played a protective role. These results suggest that TLR7 and TLR9 play opposite roles in triggering SSc to produce immune system abnormalities and skin fibrosis.
Topics: Animals; Toll-Like Receptor 7; Scleroderma, Systemic; Toll-Like Receptor 9; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Disease Models, Animal; Bleomycin; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Cytokines; Skin; Fibrosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Membrane Glycoproteins
PubMed: 38892317
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116133 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Doxorubicin is an effective drug for cancer treatment; however, cardiotoxicity limits its use. Cardiotoxicity pathophysiology is multifactorial. GLP-1 analogues have...
Doxorubicin is an effective drug for cancer treatment; however, cardiotoxicity limits its use. Cardiotoxicity pathophysiology is multifactorial. GLP-1 analogues have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, we evaluated the effect of pretreatment with liraglutide on doxorubicin-induced acute cardiotoxicity. A total of 60 male Wistar rats were allocated into four groups: Control (C), Doxorubicin (D), Liraglutide (L), and Doxorubicin + Liraglutide (DL). L and DL received subcutaneous injection of liraglutide 0.6 mg/kg daily, while C and D received saline for 2 weeks. Afterwards, D and DL received a single intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin 20 mg/kg; C and L received an injection of saline. Forty-eight hours after doxorubicin administration, the rats were subjected to echocardiogram, isolated heart functional study, and euthanasia. Liraglutide-treated rats ingested significantly less food and gained less body weight than animals that did not receive the drug. Rats lost weight after doxorubicin injection. At echocardiogram and isolated heart study, doxorubicin-treated rats had systolic and diastolic function impairment. Myocardial catalase activity was statistically higher in doxorubicin-treated rats. Myocardial protein expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (p-NFκB), troponin T, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) was significantly lower, and the total NFκB/p-NFκB ratio and TLR-4 higher in doxorubicin-treated rats. Myocardial expression of OPA-1, MFN-2, DRP-1, and topoisomerase 2β did not differ between groups ( > 0.05). In conclusion, doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is accompanied by decreased Bcl-2 and phosphorylated NFκB and increased catalase activity and TLR-4 expression. Liraglutide failed to improve acute doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.
Topics: Animals; Liraglutide; Doxorubicin; Cardiotoxicity; Male; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Oxidative Stress; Myocardium; NF-kappa B; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Heart
PubMed: 38892020
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115833 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Approximately 30% of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndromes are attributed to monogenic disorders that involve 27 genes. Mutations in family members have also been...
Approximately 30% of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndromes are attributed to monogenic disorders that involve 27 genes. Mutations in family members have also been linked to nephrotic syndrome; however, the precise mechanism remains elusive. To investigate this, podocyte-specific knockout mice were generated to examine phenotypic changes. In the initial assessment under normal conditions, knockout mice showed no significant differences in the urinary albumin-creatinine ratio, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine levels, or histological features compared to controls. However, following kidney injury with adriamycin, podocyte-specific knockout mice exhibited a significantly higher albumin-creatinine ratio and a significantly greater sclerotic index than control mice. Electron microscopy revealed more extensive foot process effacement in the knockout mice than in control mice. In addition, -deficient human podocytes showed increased detachment and apoptosis following adriamycin exposure. These findings suggest that KANK1 may play a protective role in mitigating podocyte damage under pathological conditions.
Topics: Podocytes; Animals; Mice; Humans; Mice, Knockout; Doxorubicin; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Apoptosis; Nephrotic Syndrome; Male; Tumor Suppressor Proteins
PubMed: 38891998
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115808 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Despite the importance of spliceosome core components in cellular processes, their roles in cancer development, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remain poorly...
Despite the importance of spliceosome core components in cellular processes, their roles in cancer development, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remain poorly understood. In this study, we uncover a critical role for SmD2, a core component of the spliceosome machinery, in modulating DNA damage in HCC through its impact on BRCA1/FANC cassette exons and expression. Our findings reveal that SmD2 depletion sensitizes HCC cells to PARP inhibitors, expanding the potential therapeutic targets. We also demonstrate that SmD2 acetylation by p300 leads to its degradation, while HDAC2-mediated deacetylation stabilizes SmD2. Importantly, we show that the combination of Romidepsin and Olaparib exhibits significant therapeutic potential in multiple HCC models, highlighting the promise of targeting SmD2 acetylation and HDAC2 inhibition alongside PARP inhibitors for HCC treatment.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Acetylation; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; Spliceosomes; Cell Line, Tumor; Phthalazines; Exons; Piperazines; Animals; BRCA1 Protein; Depsipeptides; Mice; DNA Damage; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
PubMed: 38890388
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49573-7