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Medicine Sep 2022Airway neutrophilia has been associated with asthma severity and asthma exacerbations. This study attempted to identify biomarkers, pathogenesis, and therapeutic...
BACKGROUND
Airway neutrophilia has been associated with asthma severity and asthma exacerbations. This study attempted to identify biomarkers, pathogenesis, and therapeutic molecular targets for severe asthma in neutrophils using bioinformatics analysis.
METHODS
Fifteen healthy controls and 3 patients with neutrophilic severe asthma were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Based on the analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), functional and pathway enrichment analyses, gene set enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction network construction, and analysis were performed. Moreover, small-molecule drug candidates have also been identified.
RESULTS
Three hundred and three upregulated and 59 downregulated genes were identified. Gene ontology function enrichment analyses were primarily related to inflammatory response, immune response, leukocyte migration, neutrophil chemotaxis, mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, Jun N-terminal kinase cascade, I-kappaB kinase/nuclear factor-κB, and MyD88-dependent toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Pathway enrichment analyses and gene set enrichment analysis were mainly involved in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, the TNF signaling pathway, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Furthermore, 1 important module and 10 hub genes (CXCL8, TLR2, CXCL1, ICAM1, CXCR4, FPR2, SELL, PTEN, TREM1, and LEP) were identified in the protein-protein interaction network. Moreover, indoprofen, mimosine, STOCK1N-35874, trapidil, iloprost, aminoglutethimide, ajmaline, levobunolol, ethionamide, cefaclor, dimenhydrinate, and bethanechol are potential drugs for the treatment of neutrophil-predominant severe asthma.
CONCLUSION
This study identified potential biomarkers, pathogenesis, and therapeutic molecular targets for neutrophil-predominant severe asthma.
Topics: Ajmaline; Aminoglutethimide; Asthma; Bethanechol; Biomarkers; Cefaclor; Computational Biology; Cytokines; Dimenhydrinate; Ethionamide; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Iloprost; Indoprofen; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Levobunolol; Mimosine; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88; NF-kappa B; NLR Proteins; Neutrophils; Receptors, Cytokine; Toll-Like Receptor 2; Trapidil; Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1
PubMed: 36197221
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030661 -
EBioMedicine Dec 2016Artemisinin (ARS) and its derivatives, which are clinically used antimalarial agents, have shown antitumor activities. Their therapeutic potencies, however, are limited...
UNLABELLED
Artemisinin (ARS) and its derivatives, which are clinically used antimalarial agents, have shown antitumor activities. Their therapeutic potencies, however, are limited by their low solubility and poor bioavailability. Here, through a pharmacophore hybridization strategy, we synthesized ARS-drug conjugates, in which the marketed chemotherapeutic agents chlorambucil, melphalan, flutamide, aminoglutethimide, and doxifluridine, were separately bonded to Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) through various linkages. Of these, the artemisinin-melphalan conjugate, ARS4, exhibited most toxicity to human ovarian cancer cells but had low cytotoxicity to normal cells. ARS4 inhibited the growth and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and resulted in S-phase arrest, apoptosis, and inhibition of migration; these effects were stronger than those of its parent drugs, DHA and melphalan. Furthermore, ARS4 modulated the expression of proteins involved in cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, in mice, ARS4 inhibited growth and intraperitoneal dissemination and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells without observable toxic effects. Our results provide a basis for development of the compound as a chemotherapeutic agent.
RESEARCH IN CONTEXT
Artemisinin compounds have recently received attention as anticancer agents because of their clinical safety profiles and broad efficacy. However, their therapeutic potencies are limited by low solubility and poor bioavailability. Here, we report that ARS4, an artemisinin-melphalan conjugate, possesses marked in-vitro and in-vivo antitumor activity against ovarian cancer, the effects of which are stronger than those for its parent drugs, Dihydroartemisinin and melphalan. In mice, ARS4 inhibits localized growth of ovarian cancer cells and intraperitoneal dissemination and metastasis without appreciable host toxicity. Thus, for patients with ovarian cancer, ARS4 is a promising chemotherapeutic agent.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Artemisinins; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Combinations; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Female; Humans; Mice; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging; Ovarian Neoplasms; Structure-Activity Relationship; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
PubMed: 27939426
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.11.026 -
British Medical Journal (Clinical... Nov 1981Altogether 117 patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with either tamoxifen 10 mg by mouth twice daily or aminoglutethimide 250 mg by mouth four times daily... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
Altogether 117 patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with either tamoxifen 10 mg by mouth twice daily or aminoglutethimide 250 mg by mouth four times daily with hydrocortisone 20 mg twice daily in a randomised cross-over trial in which patients who failed to respond to the first treatment or relapsed while receiving it were switched to the other. Eighteen (30%) out of 60 patients initially treated with tamoxifen achieved an objective response and 11 (18%) showed stable disease. Seventeen (30%) out of 57 patients treated initially with aminoglutethimide achieved an objective response and 13 (23%) achieved stable disease. Objective responses in bone metastases were achieved more commonly with aminoglutethimide (11 patients (35%)) than with tamoxifen (five (17%)). The predicted median duration of response for tamoxifen was 15 months and for aminoglutethimide over 15 months (no significant difference). Five (15%) out of 34 patients who failed to respond to tamoxifen and four out of six patients who relapsed after responding to tamoxifen subsequently responded to aminoglutethimide. In contrast, only two (6%) out of 31 patients who failed to respond to aminoglutethimide and none out of four patients who relapsed while receiving aminoglutethimide subsequently responded to tamoxifen. The main side effects occurring in the 97 patients who received aminoglutethimide as first- or second-line treatment were lethargy and drowsiness (36 patients) and rash (29); seven patients had to stop treatment because of side effects. In contrast, side effects were rare and mild with tamoxifen and no patient had to stop treatment because of them. Both tamoxifen and aminoglutethimide appeared from this study to be equally effective in the medical endocrine treatment of advanced breast cancer.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aminoglutethimide; Bone Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Resistance; Female; Humans; Male; Menopause; Middle Aged; Random Allocation; Tamoxifen
PubMed: 6797571
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.283.6304.1432 -
Annals of Oncology : Official Journal... Apr 1999Three new aromatase inhibitors have recently completed phase III evaluation as treatment of metastatic breast cancer in post-menopausal women whose disease has... (Review)
Review
Three new aromatase inhibitors have recently completed phase III evaluation as treatment of metastatic breast cancer in post-menopausal women whose disease has progressed despite tamoxifen therapy: anastrozole (ARIMIDEX, Zeneca), letrozole (FEMARA, Novartis) and vorozole (RIVIZOR, Janssen). All belong to the third generation of non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors, and each is superior to previous generations in terms of potency and selectivity. The trials that have been performed compare each agent to megestrol acetate, and letrozole and vorozole to aminoglutethimide. Although the studies are not directly comparable due to differing study designs and patient populations, it has been demonstrated each of these drugs provides single agent, once-daily, oral palliation of hormone-responsive, post-menopausal metastatic breast cancer. Letrozole is clearly more effective than megestrol acetate, and anastrozole and vorozole are possibly so. All three are better tolerated than the progestin, particularly in terms of weight gain. Both letrozole and vorozole are significantly more effective, and better tolerated than aminoglutethimide. Overall, this most recent generation of aromatase inhibitors is a clear improvement on our current standard second-line therapies. In 1999, tamoxifen remains the first choice in the hormonal therapy of breast cancer. Following tamoxifen failure, the optimal second-line hormonal therapy remains undefined, but aminoglutethimide and megestrol acetate are no longer optimal therapy in this setting. The third-generation non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors must now be compared to each other, to the steroidal aromatase inhibitors, to the pure anti-oestrogens, and to tamoxifen.
Topics: Aged; Anastrozole; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Aromatase Inhibitors; Belgium; Breast Neoplasms; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Letrozole; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Nitriles; Postmenopause; Severity of Illness Index; Survival Rate; Tamoxifen; Treatment Outcome; Triazoles
PubMed: 10370778
DOI: 10.1023/a:1008368300827 -
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology... Feb 2010The ovaries are the primary targets of senescence effects in mammalian and avian species. In the present study, relationships between reproductive aging, sex steroids...
BACKGROUND
The ovaries are the primary targets of senescence effects in mammalian and avian species. In the present study, relationships between reproductive aging, sex steroids and the growth pattern of the pre-ovulatory follicle wall were investigated using young hens with long clutch (YLC), old hens with long clutch (OLC), old hens with short clutch (OSC), and old hens with interrupted long clutch (OILC).
METHODS
Experiment 1: Hens were sacrificed 1.5 and 14.5 h after ovulation. Experiment 2: YLC and OILC hens were sacrificed 3.5 h after treatments with LH and/or aminoglutethimide (AG), an inhibitor of steroid synthesis. Volumes of pre-ovulatory follicles (F1-F5) and plasma concentrations of ovarian steroids were determined. Experiment 3: Granulosa and theca cells from F3 follicles of OSC and/or YLC hens were exposed in vitro to estradiol-17beta (E2), testosterone (T) and LH and the proliferative activity of the cells was examined using CellTiter 96 Aqueous One Solution Assay.
RESULTS
In YLC and OLC groups, the total volume of F1-F5 follicles rose between 1.5 and 14.5 h after ovulation (P < 0.01), negatively correlating with the plasma level of E2 (P < 0.01). There was no growth of pre-ovulatory follicles in the middle of the ovulatory cycle in the OSC group, with a positive correlation being present between E2 and the follicular volume (P < 0.05). In young hens, AG caused a rise in the total follicular volume. This rise was associated with a fall in E2 (r = -0.54, P < 0.05). E2 enhanced proliferation of granulosa cells from YLC and OSC groups. The proliferative activity of granulosa and theca cells of YLC hens depended on the interaction between T and LH (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate for the first time that the growth pattern of pre-ovulatory follicles during the ovulatory cycle changes in the course of reproductive aging. E2 seems to play a dual role in this adjustment; it stimulates the growth of the follicular wall in reproductive aged hens, whereas it may inhibit this process in young birds. T and LH are apparently involved in the growth regulation during the pre-ovulatory surge in young hens.
Topics: Age Factors; Aging; Aminoglutethimide; Animals; Aromatase Inhibitors; Cell Membrane; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Chickens; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Granulosa Cells; Injections; Luteinizing Hormone; Ovarian Follicle; Reproduction; Theca Cells
PubMed: 20156346
DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-8-15 -
Biomaterials Dec 2018The intrinsic characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including acidic pH and overexpression of hydrolytic enzymes, offer an exciting opportunity for the...
The intrinsic characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including acidic pH and overexpression of hydrolytic enzymes, offer an exciting opportunity for the rational design of TME-drug delivery systems (DDS). We developed and characterized a pH-responsive biodegradable poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA)-based combination conjugate family with the aim of optimizing anticancer effects. We obtained combination conjugates bearing Doxorubicin (Dox) and aminoglutethimide (AGM) with two Dox loadings and two different hydrazone pH-sensitive linkers that promote the specific release of Dox from the polymeric backbone within the TME. Low Dox loading coupled with a short hydrazone linker yielded optimal effects on primary tumor growth, lung metastasis (∼90% reduction), and toxicological profile in a preclinical metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) murine model. The use of transcriptomic analysis helped us to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for such results including a differential immunomodulation and cell death pathways among the conjugates. This data highlights the advantages of targeting the TME, the therapeutic value of polymer-based combination approaches, and the utility of -omics-based analysis to accelerate anticancer DDS.
Topics: Aminoglutethimide; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Doxorubicin; Drug Carriers; Drug Liberation; Female; Heterografts; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Polyglutamic Acid; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 30278346
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.09.023 -
Bulletin Du Cancer Dec 2000
Topics: Aminoglutethimide; Androstenedione; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Aromatase Inhibitors; Enzyme Inhibitors; Tamoxifen
PubMed: 11250603
DOI: No ID Found -
Cancer Medicine May 2020Endometrial cancer (EC) is a fatal female reproductive tumor. Bioinformatic tools are increasingly developed to screen out molecular targets related to EC. In this...
Endometrial cancer (EC) is a fatal female reproductive tumor. Bioinformatic tools are increasingly developed to screen out molecular targets related to EC. In this study, GSE17025 and GSE40032 were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). "limma" package and Venn diagram tool were used to identify hub genes. FunRich was used for functional analysis. Retrieval of Interacting Genes Database (STRING) was used to analyze protein-protein interaction (PPI) complex. Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), GEPIA, immunohistochemistry staining, and ROC curve analysis were carried out for validation. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to predict the risk score. Compound muscle action potential (CMap) was used to find potential drugs. GSEA was also done. We retrieved seven oncogenes which were upregulated and hypomethylated and 12 tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) which were downregulated and hypermethylated. The upregulated and hypomethylated genes were strikingly enriched in term "immune response" while the downregulated and hypermethylated genes were mainly focused on term "aromatic compound catabolic process." TCGA and GEPIA were used to screen out EDNRB, CDO1, NDN, PLCD1, ROR2, ESPL1, PRAME, and PTTG1. Among them, ESPL1 and ROR2 were identified by Cox regression analysis and were used to construct prognostic risk model. The result showed that ESPL1 was a negative independent prognostic factor. Cmap identified aminoglutethimide, luteolin, sulfadimethoxine, and maprotiline had correlation with EC. GSEA results showed that "hedgehog signaling pathway" was enriched. This research inferred potential aberrantly methylated DEGs and dysregulated pathways may participate in EC development and firstly reported eight hub genes, including EDNRB, CDO1, NDN, PLCD1, ROR2, ESPL1, PRAME, and PTTG1 that could be used to predict EC prognosis. Aminoglutethimide and luteolin may be used to fight against EC.
Topics: Computational Biology; DNA Methylation; Databases, Genetic; Endometrial Neoplasms; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Hedgehog Proteins; Humans; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Protein Interaction Maps; Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors; Reproducibility of Results; Separase; Small Molecule Libraries
PubMed: 32170852
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2956 -
British Journal of Cancer Feb 1988Aminoglutethimide has been used in combination with hydrocortisone in patients with advanced prostatic cancer with the rationale that it causes a 'medical...
Aminoglutethimide has been used in combination with hydrocortisone in patients with advanced prostatic cancer with the rationale that it causes a 'medical adrenalectomy'. Both objective and subjective responses have been recorded. We have examined the effect of AG and HC alone and in combination on plasma androgen levels throughout the day in two studies on 11 such patients. Whilst AG combined with HC led to a significant suppression of both testosterone and androstenedione levels, the suppression with HC alone was significantly greater, indicating that any beneficial clinical effects of AG in these patients is not due to its suppression of adrenal androgen secretion.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aminoglutethimide; Androstenedione; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Middle Aged; Orchiectomy; Prostatic Neoplasms; Testosterone; Time Factors
PubMed: 3358910
DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1988.40 -
Depression and Anxiety 2009Major depressive disorder affects a substantial percentage of the U.S. population, and can be highly debilitating. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Major depressive disorder affects a substantial percentage of the U.S. population, and can be highly debilitating. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly prescribed to treat depression, but may not be as effective for more severe or persistent depression.
METHODS
The authors review data concerning the effects of corticosteroid synthesis inhibitors (CSIs) in the management of depressive disorders, present a hypothesis as to their possible mechanisms of action based on recent data suggesting synergistic effects of glucocorticoids on extrahypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and consider alternative hypotheses. Published reports evaluating the efficacy of CSIs in treating depression are reviewed and presented in light of recent findings regarding actions of glucocorticoids on the central CRH system.
RESULTS
Results from open label and double-blind studies by several groups have indicated that CSIs may be efficacious or of adjunctive value in some patients with depression, including those refractory to other agents; however, there is a need for more controlled studies. Several lines of data suggest that the mechanism of action of these agents may not be solely a function of inhibition of adrenal cortisol production.
CONCLUSIONS
The authors propose that CSIs may be efficacious in part by reducing glucocorticoid enhancement of CRH action in neurons of the central nucleus of the amygdala and other structures outside the endocrine hypothalamus. Possible effects of systemically administered CSIs on glucocorticoid receptor regulation, neuroactive steroids, and classical monoamine systems are also discussed. We conclude that available clinical data suggest a potential role for CSIs in the management of depressive disorders, especially major depression with psychotic features.
Topics: Adrenal Glands; Aminoglutethimide; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Depressive Disorder, Major; Double-Blind Method; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamus; Ketoconazole; Metyrapone; Mifepristone; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 19133699
DOI: 10.1002/da.20546