Anti-Cancer Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum L-14 Cell-Free Extract on Human Malignant Melanoma A375 Cells

Human malignant melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer with high metastatic ability. Despite several traditional therapies, the mortality rate remains high. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum), a species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is being studied for human health, including cancer treatment. However, few studies have elucidated the relationship between L. plantarum extract and human malignant melanoma. To investigate the effects of L. plantarum on human melanoma cells, A375 human melanoma cells were used and treated with L. plantarum L-14 extract. After the treatment, viability, migration ability, molecular changes of migration- and apoptosis-related genes, and the location of cytochrome c was evaluated. The L-14 extract inhibited the viability, migration of A375 cells as well as reduced expression of migration-related genes. In addition, it was confirmed that the L-14 extract induced intrinsic apoptosis in A375 cells. This study demonstrated that the L-14 extract exerted anticancer effects on A375 cells. Therefore, these data suggest that the L-14 extract is worth studying for the development of melanoma drugs using LAB.

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Membrane Associated Antigens of Human Malignant Melanoma 11. Leucocyte Migration Studies with Formalin Fixed Human Melanoma Cells

Zeitschrift für Immunitaetsforschung Experimentelle und Klinische Immunologie ◽

10.1016/s0300-872x(76)80039-x ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 151 (3) ◽

pp. 242-249

Author(s):

L. Suter ◽

C. Sorg ◽

E. Macher

Keyword(s):

Malignant Melanoma ◽

Melanoma Cells ◽

Human Melanoma ◽

Migration Studies ◽

Human Malignant Melanoma ◽

Human Melanoma Cells ◽

Leucocyte Migration ◽

Formalin Fixed

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Treatment of melanoma cells with the synthetic retinoid CD437 induces apoptosis via activation of AP-1 in vitro, and causes growth inhibition in xenografts in vivo.

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.135.6.1889 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 135 (6) ◽

pp. 1889-1898 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

D Schadendorf ◽

M A Kern ◽

M Artuc ◽

H L Pahl ◽

T Rosenbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Death ◽

Malignant Melanoma ◽

Programmed Cell Death ◽

Melanoma Cells ◽

Human Melanoma ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Synthetic Retinoid ◽

Human Melanoma Cells

Human malignant melanoma is notoriously resistant to pharmacological modulation. We describe here for the first time that the synthetic retinoid CD437 has a strong dose-dependent antiproliferative effect on human melanoma cells (IC50: 5 x 10(-6) M) via the induction of programmed cell death, as judged by analysis of cell morphology, electron microscopical features, and DNA fragmentation. Programmed cell death was preceded by a strong activation of the AP-1 complex in CD437-treated cells as demonstrated by gel retardation and chloramphenicol transferase (CAT) assays. Northern blot analysis showed a time-dependent increase in the expression of c-fos and c-jun encoding components of AP-1, whereas bcl-2 and p53 mRNA levels remained constant. CD437 also exhibited a strong growth inhibitory effect on MeWo melanoma cells in a xenograft model. In tissue sections of CD437-treated MeWo tumors from these animals, apoptotic melanoma cells and c-fos overexpressing cells were colocalized by TdT-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and in situ hybridization. Taken together, this report identifies CD437 as a retinoid that activates and upregulates the transcription factor AP-1, leading eventually to programmed cell death of exposed human melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether synthetic retinoids such as CD437 represent a new class of retinoids, which may open up new ways to a more effective therapy of malignant melanoma.

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The Efficacy of Dandelion Root Extract in Inducing Apoptosis in Drug-Resistant Human Melanoma Cells

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2011/129045 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

S. J. Chatterjee ◽

P. Ovadje ◽

M. Mousa ◽

C. Hamm ◽

S. Pandey

Keyword(s):

Surgical Excision ◽

Natural Compounds ◽

Melanoma Cells ◽

Human Melanoma ◽

Root Extract ◽

Nuclear Condensation ◽

Apoptotic Pathway ◽

Outer Leaflet ◽

Human Melanoma Cells ◽

A375 Cells

Notoriously chemoresistant melanoma has become the most prevalent form of cancer for the 25–29 North American age demographic. Standard treatment after early detection involves surgical excision (recurrence is possible), and metastatic melanoma is refractory to immuno-, radio-, and most harmful chemotherapies. Various natural compounds have shown efficacy in killing different cancers, albeit not always specifically. In this study, we show that dandelion root extract (DRE) specifically and effectively induces apoptosis in human melanoma cells without inducing toxicity in noncancerous cells. Characteristic apoptotic morphology of nuclear condensation and phosphatidylserine flipping to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane of A375 human melanoma cells was observed within 48 hours. DRE-induced apoptosis activates caspase-8 in A375 cells early on, demonstrating employment of an extrinsic apoptotic pathway to kill A375 cells. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generated from DRE-treated isolated mitochondria indicates that natural compounds in DRE can also directly target mitochondria. Interestingly, the relatively resistant G361 human melanoma cell line responded to DRE when combined with the metabolism interfering antitype II diabetic drug metformin. Therefore, treatment with this common, yet potent extract of natural compounds has proven novel in specifically inducing apoptosis in chemoresistant melanoma, without toxicity to healthy cells.

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