Study on the effects of Polyphyllin I and Curcumin on liver cancer based on the cross-action of ferroptosis and energy metabolism

Author(s):  
Shuxian Yu ◽  
Wenhui Gao ◽  
Puhua Zeng ◽  
Mingxuan Lu ◽  
Xiaoning Tan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: To investigate the effect and mechanism of Polyphyllin I(PPI) and Curcumin(Cur) on human liver cancer HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells. Methods: Download the hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and normal control specimens from the TCGA database, take the intersection with ferroptosis-related genes, and screen the differentially expressed ferroptosis genes; again, make the intersection with the selected differential genes related to energy metabolism; conduct survival analysis; construct prognosis Risk scoring model and evaluation of model performance; through molecular docking to verify the binding effect of PPI, Cur and Ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2(RRM2), SRC(SRC), Acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha(ACACA) and other genes. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells were cultured in vitro, PPI and Cur intervened, and Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8) was used to detect cell inhibition rate; FeRhoNox-1 fluorescent probe staining to observe the intracellular Fe 2+ status; lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release Experiment to detect cell LDH release rate; JC-1 staining to detect mitochondrial membrane potential; reactive oxygen species(ROS) kit to detect ROS level;Western blotting (WB) to detect RRM2 and SRC , ACACA and other genes protein expression levels. Results: Through screening, 25 differential genes related to ferroptosis and energy metabolism in liver cancer were obtained;; through survival analysis, three ferroptosis-related genes, such as RRM2, SRC, and ACACA, were obtained,the results showed that these three genes showed high expression and predicted poor overall survival(OS) and disease-free survival(DFS); molecular docking results showed that PPI, Cur It has good affinity with RRM2, SRC and ACACA. The results of in vitro experiments show that PPI and Cur inhibit cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner ( P <0.01). PPI and Cur can significantly increase the intracellular Fe2+ concentration, LDH release rate and intracellular ROS levels of HepG2, HepG2.2.15 ( P <0.01), and the effect on mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly lower than that of the blank group ( P <0.01), and significantly down-regulated the protein expression levels of RRM2, SRC, and ACACA ( P <0.01). Conclusion: The high expression of RRM2, SRC, ACACA and other three genes related to ferroptosis and energy metabolism in liver cancer indicate poor OS and DFS; PPI and Cur can up-regulate the LDH release rate, ROS and Fe 2+ levels of liver cancer cells, and down-regulate the cell mitochondrial membrane potential and other methods to inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells; and down-regulate the expression of RRM2, SRC, ACACA and other proteins to affect the prognosis of liver cancer.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 320
Author(s):  
Wilmer Alcazar ◽  
Sami Alakurtti ◽  
Maritza Padrón-Nieves ◽  
Maija Liisa Tuononen ◽  
Noris Rodríguez ◽  
...  

Herein, we evaluated in vitro the anti-leishmanial activity of betulin derivatives in Venezuelan isolates of Leishmania amazonensis, isolated from patients with therapeutic failure. Methods: We analyzed promastigote in vitro susceptibility as well as the cytotoxicity and selectivity of the evaluated compounds. Additionally, the activity of selected compounds was determined in intracellular amastigotes. Finally, to gain hints on their potential mechanism of action, the effect of the most promising compounds on plasma and mitochondrial membrane potential, and nitric oxide and superoxide production by infected macrophages was determined. Results: From the tested 28 compounds, those numbered 18 and 22 were chosen for additional studies. Both 18 and 22 were active (GI50 ≤ 2 µM, cytotoxic CC50 > 45 µM, SI > 20) for the reference strain LTB0016 and for patient isolates. The results suggest that 18 significantly depolarized the plasma membrane potential (p < 0.05) and the mitochondrial membrane potential (p < 0.05) when compared to untreated cells. Although neither 18 nor 22 induced nitric oxide production in infected macrophages, 18 induced superoxide production in infected macrophages. Conclusion: Our results suggest that due to their efficacy and selectivity against intracellular parasites and the potential mechanisms underlying their leishmanicidal effect, the compounds 18 and 22 could be used as tools for designing new chemotherapies against leishmaniasis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Nathan P. Wiederhold

Invasive infections caused by Candida that are resistant to clinically available antifungals are of increasing concern. Increasing rates of fluconazole resistance in non-albicans Candida species have been documented in multiple countries on several continents. This situation has been further exacerbated over the last several years by Candida auris, as isolates of this emerging pathogen that are often resistant to multiple antifungals. T-2307 is an aromatic diamidine currently in development for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. This agent has been shown to selectively cause the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential in yeasts when compared to mammalian cells. In vitro activity has been demonstrated against Candida species, including C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. auris strains, which are resistant to azole and echinocandin antifungals. Activity has also been reported against Cryptococcus species, and this has translated into in vivo efficacy in experimental models of invasive candidiasis and cryptococcosis. However, little is known regarding the clinical efficacy and safety of this agent, as published data from studies involving humans are not currently available.


2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Hinterkörner ◽  
Gudrun Brugger ◽  
Dethardt Müller ◽  
Friedemann Hesse ◽  
Renate Kunert ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuang Ma ◽  
Zuheng Liu ◽  
Yuting Xue ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Wenjun Xiong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Both mitochondrial quality control and energy metabolism are critical in maintaining the physiological function of cardiomyocytes. Previous studies indicated that PGC-1α is a transcription co-activator in promoting mitochondrial energy metabolism which would be beneficial for cardiomyocytes. However, PGC-1α overexpression in heart tissues could also result in the development of cardiomyopathy. This discrepancy in vivo and in vitro might be due to neglecting the elimination of damaged mitochondrial. Thus, an integration strategy of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy might be beneficial.Methods: We studied the function of PINK1 in mitophagy in isoproterenol (Iso)-induced cardiomyocyte injury. Adenovirus was used to provoke an overexpression of the PINK1/Mfn2 protein. Mitochondrial morphology was examined via electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Cardiomyocytes injury were measured by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis. Metformin was used to increase mitochondrial biogenesis, the level of which was detected via immunoblotting. Additionally, mitochondrial respiratory function was measured by ATP production and oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Results: Cardiomyocytes treated with Iso had high levels of PINK1 and low levels of Mfn2 in a time-dependent manner. PINK1 overexpression promoted mitophagy, alleviated Iso-induced reduction in MMP, reduced ROS production and the apoptotic rate. In addition to increasing mitophagy, metformin could promote mitochondrial biogenensis and the overexpression of Mfn2 induce mitochondrial fusion. Moreover, metformin treatment and PINK1/Mfn2 overexpression reduced the mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting the generation of ROS, and leading to an increase in both ATP production and mitochondrial membrane potential in Iso-induced cardiomyocytes injury. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a combination strategy may help ameliorate myocardial injury through mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Yinghong Zhou ◽  
Xiaofeng Dong ◽  
Peng Xiu ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Jianrong Yang ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is regarded as a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and its progression is associated with hypoxia and the induction of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Meloxicam, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, induces cell death in various malignancies. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated in HCC, especially under hypoxic conditions. The alteration of COX-2 and HIF-1α oncogenicity was evaluated in HCC specimens by tissue microarray. Cell viability, angiogenesis assays, and xenografted nude mice were used to evaluate the effects of meloxicam, along with flow cytometry to detect the cell cycle, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) of HCC. qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, luciferase assay, and RNAi were carried out to determine the HIF-1α signaling affected by meloxicam. In this study, we showed that meloxicam exerts antiproliferative and antiangiogenesis efficacy in vitro and in vivo and causes disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), thus leading to caspase-dependent apoptosis under hypoxic environments. Exposure to meloxicam significantly reduced HIF-1α transcriptional activation and expression through sequestering it in the cytoplasm and accelerating degradation via increasing the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL) in HCC. These data demonstrated that inhibition of HIF-1α by meloxicam could suppress angiogenesis and enhance apoptosis of HCC cells. This discovery highlights that COX-2 specific inhibitors may be a promising therapy in the treatment of HCC.


Zygote ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 203-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anima Tripathi ◽  
Vivek Pandey ◽  
A.N. Sahu ◽  
Alok K. Singh ◽  
Pawan K. Dubey

SummaryThe present study investigated if the presence of encircling granulosa cells protected against di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)-induced oxidative stress in rat oocytes cultured in vitro. Denuded oocytes and cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were treated with or without various doses of DEHP (0.0, 25.0, 50.0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 μM) in vitro. Morphological apoptotic changes, levels of oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, and expression levels of apoptotic markers (Bcl2, Bax, cytochrome c) were analyzed. Our results showed that DEHP induced morphological apoptotic changes in a dose-dependent manner in denuded oocytes cultured in vitro. The effective dose of DEHP (400 µg) significantly (P>0.05) increased oxidative stress by elevating ROS levels and the mitochondrial membrane potential with higher mRNA expression and protein levels of apoptotic markers (Bax, cytochrome c). Encircling granulosa cells protected oocytes from DEHP-induced morphological changes, increased oxidative stress and ROS levels, as well as increased expression of apoptotic markers. Taken together our data suggested that encircling granulosa cells protected oocytes against DEHP-induced apoptosis and that the presence of granulosa cells could act positively towards the survival of oocytes under in vitro culture conditions and may be helpful during assisted reproductive technique programmes.


2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 1147-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Loop ◽  
David Dovi-Akue ◽  
Michael Frick ◽  
Martin Roesslein ◽  
Lotti Egger ◽  
...  

Background Volatile anesthetics modulate lymphocyte function during surgery, and this compromises postoperative immune competence. The current work was undertaken to examine whether volatile anesthetics induce apoptosis in human T lymphocytes and what apoptotic signaling pathway might be used. Methods Effects of sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane were studied in primary human CD3 T lymphocytes and Jurkat T cells in vitro. Apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed using flow cytometry after green fluorescent protein-annexin V and DiOC6-fluorochrome staining. Activity and proteolytic processing of caspase 3 was measured by cleaving of the fluorogenic effector caspase substrate Ac-DEVD-AMC and by anti-caspase-3 Western blotting. Release of mitochondrial cytochrome c was studied after cell fractionation using anti-cytochrome c Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results Sevoflurane and isoflurane induced apoptosis in human T lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, desflurane did not exert any proapoptotic effects. The apoptotic signaling pathway used by sevoflurane involved disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytosol. In addition, the authors observed a proteolytic cleavage of the inactive p32 procaspase 3 to the active p17 fragment, increased caspase-3-like activity, and cleavage of the caspase-3 substrate poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase. Sevoflurane-induced apoptosis was blocked by the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk. Death signaling was not mediated via the Fas/CD95 receptor pathway because neither anti-Fas/CD95 receptor antagonism nor FADD deficiency or caspase-8 deficiency were able to attenuate sevoflurane-mediated apoptosis. Conclusion Sevoflurane and isoflurane induce apoptosis in T lymphocytes via increased mitochondrial membrane permeability and caspase-3 activation, but independently of death receptor signaling.


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