Expression and selective activation of somatostatin receptor subtypes induces cell cycle arrest in cancer cells

Oxypeucedanin (OPD), a furocoumarin compound from Angelica dahurica (Umbelliferae), exhibits potential antiproliferative activities in human cancer cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of OPD as an anticancer agent in human hepatocellular cancer cells have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study investigated the antiproliferative effect of OPD in SK-Hep-1 human hepatoma cells. OPD effectively inhibited the growth of SK-Hep-1 cells. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that OPD was able to induce G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in cells. The G2/M phase cell cycle arrest by OPD was associated with the downregulation of the checkpoint proteins cyclin B1, cyclin E, cdc2, and cdc25c, and the up-regulation of p-chk1 (Ser345) expression. The growth-inhibitory activity of OPD against hepatoma cells was found to be p53-dependent. The p53-expressing cells (SK-Hep-1 and HepG2) were sensitive, but p53-null cells (Hep3B) were insensitive to the antiproliferative activity of OPD. OPD also activated the expression of p53, and thus leading to the induction of MDM2 and p21, which indicates that the antiproliferative activity of OPD is in part correlated with the modulation of p53 in cancer cells. In addition, the combination of OPD with gemcitabine showed synergistic growth-inhibitory activity in SK-Hep-1 cells. These findings suggest that the anti-proliferative activity of OPD may be highly associated with the induction of G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and upregulation of the p53/MDM2/p21 axis in SK-HEP-1 hepatoma cells.

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Novel small molecule inhibitor of Kpnβ1 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells

Experimental Cell Research ◽

10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112637 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112637

Author(s):

Aderonke Ajayi-Smith ◽

Pauline van der Watt ◽

Nonkululeko Mkwanazi ◽

Sarah Carden ◽

John O. Trent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Cell Cycle Arrest ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Small Molecule ◽

Small Molecule Inhibitor ◽

Cycle Arrest ◽

Molecule Inhibitor ◽

Apoptosis In Cancer Cells

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Mutant p53L194F Harboring Luminal-A Breast Cancer Cells Are Refractory to Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Response to MortaparibPlus, a Multimodal Small Molecule Inhibitor

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13123043 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 3043

Author(s):

Ahmed Elwakeel ◽

Anissa Nofita Sari ◽

Jaspreet Kaur Dhanjal ◽

Hazna Noor Meidinna ◽

Durai Sundar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cell Cycle ◽

Cell Cycle Arrest ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Small Molecule ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Luminal A ◽

Molecular Analyses ◽

Cycle Arrest ◽

Mcf 7

We previously performed a drug screening to identify a potential inhibitor of mortalin–p53 interaction. In four rounds of screenings based on the shift in mortalin immunostaining pattern from perinuclear to pan-cytoplasmic and nuclear enrichment of p53, we had identified MortaparibPlus (4-[(1E)-2-(2-phenylindol-3-yl)-1-azavinyl]-1,2,4-triazole) as a novel synthetic small molecule. In order to validate its activity and mechanism of action, we recruited Luminal-A breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (p53wild type) and T47D (p53L194F) and performed extensive biochemical and immunocytochemical analyses. Molecular analyses revealed that MortaparibPlus is capable of abrogating mortalin–p53 interaction in both MCF-7 and T47D cells. Intriguingly, upregulation of transcriptional activation function of p53 (as marked by upregulation of the p53 effector gene—p21WAF1—responsible for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis) was recorded only in MortaparibPlus-treated MCF-7 cells. On the other hand, MortaparibPlus-treated T47D cells exhibited hyperactivation of PARP1 (accumulation of PAR polymer and decrease in ATP levels) as a possible non-p53 tumor suppression program. However, these cells did not show full signs of either apoptosis or PAR-Thanatos. Molecular analyses attributed such a response to the inability of MortaparibPlus to disrupt the AIF–mortalin complexes; hence, AIF did not translocate to the nucleus to induce chromatinolysis and DNA degradation. These data suggested that the cancer cells possessing enriched levels of such complexes may not respond to MortaparibPlus. Taken together, we report the multimodal anticancer potential of MortaparibPlus that warrants further attention in laboratory and clinical studies.

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Induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by chloroform fraction of Juniperus phoenicea and chemical constituents analysis

Open Chemistry ◽

10.1515/chem-2021-0195 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 119-127

Author(s):

Ibrahim O. Barnawi ◽

Fahd A. Nasr ◽

Omar M. Noman ◽

Ali S. Alqahtani ◽

Mohammed Al-zharani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Cell Cycle Arrest ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Chloroform Fraction ◽

Active Fraction ◽

Cycle Arrest ◽

Juniperus Phoenicea ◽

Medicinal Properties ◽

Mcf 7

Abstract Different phytochemicals from various plant species exhibit promising medicinal properties against cancer. Juniperus phoenicea is a plant species that has been found to present medicinal properties. Herein, crude extract and fractions of J. phoenicea were examined to determine its anticancer properties against several cancer cells. The active fraction was chosen to assess its activity on cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction by annexin and propidium iodide (PI) biomarkers. Further, phytochemical screening for possible contents of active fraction using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was conducted. It was demonstrated that cell proliferation was suppressed, and the MCF-7 cell line was the most sensitive to J. phoenicea chloroform fraction (JPCF), with the IC50 values of 24.5 μg/mL. The anti-proliferation activity of JPCF in MCF-7 cells was linked to the aggregation of cells in the G1 phase, increases in early and late apoptosis as well as necrotic cell death. Contents analysis of JPCF using GC-MS analysis identified 3-methyl-5-(2′,6′,6′-trimethylcyclohex-1′-enyl)-1-penten-3-ol (16.5%), methyl 8-oxooctanoate (15.61%), cubenol (13.48%), and 7-oxabicyclo [2.2.1] heptane (12.14%) as major constituents. Our present study provides clear evidence that J. phoenicea can inhibit cell proliferation, trigger cell cycle arrest, and induce apoptosis in tested cancer cells.

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