Preclinical Evaluation of Dimethyl Itaconate Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Activation of the e/iNOS-Mediated NF-κB–Dependent Apoptotic Pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common tumors affecting a large population worldwide, with the fifth and seventh greatest mortality rates among men and women, respectively, and the third prime cause of mortality among cancer victims. Dimethyl itaconate (DI) has been reported to be efficacious in colorectal cancer by decreasing IL-1β release from intestinal epithelial cells. In this study, diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC in male albino Wistar rats was treated with DI as an anticancer drug. The function and molecular mechanism of DI against HCC in vivo were assessed using histopathology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot studies. Metabolomics using 1H-NMR was used to investigate metabolic profiles. As per molecular insights, DI has the ability to trigger mitochondrial apoptosis through iNOS- and eNOS-induced activation of the NF-κB/Bcl-2 family of proteins, CytC, caspase-3, and caspase-9 signaling cascade. Serum metabolomics investigations using 1H-NMR revealed that aberrant metabolites in DEN-induced HCC rats were restored to normal following DI therapy. Furthermore, our data revealed that the DI worked as an anti-HCC agent. The anticancer activity of DI was shown to be equivalent to that of the commercial chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil.

Plasmodium Infection Suppresses Colon Cancer Growth by Inhibiting Proliferation and Promoting Apoptosis Associated with Disrupting Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Mitophagy in Mice

Background: Colon cancer is a common gastrointestinal tumor with a poor prognosis, which makes it urgent to explore new therapeutic strategies. The anti-tumor effect of Plasmodium infection has been reported in some murine models, but it is not clear whether it has an anti-colon cancer effect. In this study, we investigated the anti-colon cancer effect of Plasmodium infection and its related mechanisms using a mouse model of colon cancer.Methods: An experimental model was established by intraperitoneal injection of Plasmodium yoelii-infected erythrocytes into mice with colon cancer. The size of tumors was observed dynamically in mice, and the expression of Ki67 detected by immunohistochemistry was to analyze tumor cells proliferation. Apoptosis was assessed by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, and the expression of apoptosis concerned proteins, including Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-9, Cleaved Caspase-3, were detected by western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the ultrastructural change of colon cancer cells. And the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis correlative central protein, PGC-1α, and mitophagy relevant crucial proteins, PINK1/Parkin, were detected by western blot. Results: We found that Plasmodium infection reduced the weights and sizes of tumors and decreased the expression of Ki67 in colon cancer-bearing mice. Furthermore, Plasmodium infection promoted mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in colon cancer cells, as evidenced by the increased proportion of TUNEL-positive cells, the up-regulated expression of Bax, Caspase-9, and Cleaved Caspase-3 proteins, and the down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 protein. In colon cancer cells, we found destroyed nucleus, swollen mitochondria, missing cristae, and the decreased number of autolysosomes. In addition, Plasmodium infection disturbed mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy through the reduced expression of PGC-1α, PINK1, and Parkin proteins in colon cancer tissues.Conclusions: Plasmodium infection can play an anti-colon cancer role in mice by inhibiting proliferation and promoting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in colon cancer cells, which may relate to mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy.

Protective effect of dihydromyricetin on vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide in rats

Objective Dihydromyricetin (DMY), also called Ampelopsin, which was extracted from Ampelopsis grossedentata, has been demonstrated to have a protective effect against cell oxidative injury and cell apoptosis in vitro. In the present study, we tried to study the role of DMY on apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods Apoptotic cells were detected by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H.E.) staining, Hoechst 33342 staining, and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate binding assay. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was estimated through fluorescence assay. The mRNA and protein expression of Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bcl-2, and Bax were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot. Results The results showed that the pretreatment of VSMCs with DMY not only significantly increased cell viability, reduced intracellular ROS release, alleviated the morphological changes of apoptosis, and decreased the apoptosis rate, but also upregulated Bcl-2 expression and downregulated Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bax expression, and ultimately attenuated the H2O2-stimulated apoptosis. Conclusion The inhibition of DMY on VSMC apoptosis may be mediated by ROS scavenging and the activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic signaling pathway.

Apoptosis indices in liver cell mitochondria in B16/F10 melanoma growing in presence of chronic neurogenic pain

Введение. Печень по количеству, плотности митохондрий один из самых богатых органов, который также является критическим местом для множества метаболических путей. Цель исследования - изучение показателей апоптоза в митохондриях печени самок мышей линии С57ВL/6 при самостоятельном росте меланомы В16/F10 и на фоне коморбидной патологии - хронической нейрогенной боли. Методика. В эксперименте использовали мышей-самок (n=168) линии С57ВL/6. Группы: интактная (n=21); контрольная (n=21) - создание модели хронической нейрогенной боли (ХНБ), путем двусторонней перевязки седалищных нервов; группа сравнения (n=63) - подкожная трансплантация меланомы B16/F10; основная группа (ХНБ+B16/F10) (n=63) - подкожная трансплантация меланомы В16/F10 через 3 нед после моделировия ХНБ. В митохондриях печени методом ИФА определяли концентрацию: цитохрома С (нг/г белка), каспазы 9 (нг/г белка), Bcl-2 (нг/г белка), AIF (нг/г белка), кальция (Са 2+) (мМоль/г белка). Результаты. В митохондриях клеток печени через 1 нед роста меланомы относительно интактных значений фиксировали нарастание уровней AIF в 2,2 раза, цитохрома С в 1,7 раза (р<0,05) и снижение каспазы 9 в 2,0 раза; через 3 нед - падение кальция в 4,7 раза, AIF в 7,1 раза и цитохрома С в 1,7 раза (р<0,05) и накопление каспазы 9 - 1,6 раза (р<0,05). Развитие опухоли при ХНБ через 1 нед сопровождалось уменьшением концентрации AIF в 29,3 раза и цитохрома С в 2,0 раза по сравнению с контрольными значениями (ХНБ). Через 3 недели роста меланомы на фоне ХНБ фиксировали снижение уровней AIF в 6,6 раза, цитохрома С в 4,7 раза и кальция в 32,8 раза, уровень каспазы 9, напротив, повышался в 1,5 раза (р<0,05). Заключение. Наличие коморбидной патологии - ХНБ при опухолевом процессе способствует раннему возникновению нарушений в электронно-транспортной цепи митохондрий клеток печени. Background. The liver is one of the richest organs in terms of the number and density of mitochondria; it is also a critical site for many metabolic pathways. The aim of the study was to analyze indicators of apoptosis in liver mitochondria in female С57ВL/6 mice with B16/F10 melanoma growing alone and in presence of chronic neurogenic pain. Methods. Female С57ВL/6 mice (n=168) were studied. Animals were divided into groups: intact group (n=21); controls (n=21) with a model of chronic neurogenic pain (CNP) created by bilateral sciatic nerve ligation; comparison group (n=63) with subcutaneous transplantation of B16/F10 melanoma; main group (CNP+B16/F10) (n=63) with subcutaneous transplantation of B16/F10 melanoma 3 wks after modeling CNP. Cytochrome C (ng/g protein), caspase-9 (ng/g protein), Bcl-2 (ng/g protein), AIF (ng/g protein), and calcium (Ca2+) (mmol/g protein) were measured by ELISA in the liver mitochondrial fraction. Results. After 1 wk of melanoma growth, AIF increased by 2.2 times, cytochrome C increased by 1.7 times (p<0.05), and caspase-9 decreased by 2.0 times compared to the intact group values. After 3 wks, calcium decreased by 4.7 times, AIF by 7.1 times, cytochrome C by 1.7 times (p<0.05), and caspase-9 increased by 1.6 times (p<0.05). After 1 wk, tumor development in the presence of CNP was accompanied by decreases in AIF by 29.3 times and cytochrome C by 2.0 times, compared to control CNP values. After 3 wks of melanoma growth in presence of CNP, AIF decreased by 6.6 times, cytochrome C by 4.7 times, and calcium by 32.8 times. Caspase-9, on the contrary, increased by 1.5 times (p<0.05). Conclusions. The presence of CNP comorbidity during the tumor development facilitates earlier occurrence of disorders in the electron transport chain of hepatocyte mitochondria.

Intrinsic apoptosis is evolutionary divergent among metazoans

Apoptosis is characterised by an analogous set of morphological features1 that depend on a proteolytic multigenic family, the caspases. Each apoptotic signalling pathway involves a specific initiator caspase, upstream of the pathway regulation, which finally converges to common executioner caspases. Intrinsic apoptosis, previously known as the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, is often considered as ancestral and evolutionary conserved among animals. First identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, intrinsic apoptosis was next characterised in fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and mammals. Intrinsic apoptosis depends on the key initiator caspase-9 (named Ced-3 and Dronc in Caenorhabditis and Drosophila, respectively), the activator Apaf-1 and the Bcl-2 multigenic family. Many functional studies have led to a deep characterisation of intrinsic apoptosis based on those classical models. Nevertheless, the biochemical role of mitochondria, the pivotal function of cytochrome c and the modality of caspases activation remain highly heterogeneous and hide profound molecular divergences among apoptotic pathways in animals. Independent of functional approaches, the phylogenetic history of the signal transduction actors, mostly the caspase family, is the Rosetta Stone to shed light on intrinsic apoptosis evolution. Here, after exhaustive research on CARD-caspases, we demonstrate by phylogenetic analysis that the caspase-9, the fundamental key of intrinsic apoptosis, is deuterostomes-specific, while it is the caspase-2 which is ancestral and common to bilaterians. Our analysis of Bcl-2 family and Apaf-1 confirm the high heterogeneity in apoptotic pathways elaboration in animals. Taken together, our results support convergent emergence of distinct intrinsic apoptotic pathways during metazoan evolution.

Inhibitory effects of probiotic Bacillus coagulans against MCF7 breast cancer cells

Background and Objectives: Secondary metabolites in the supernatants of probiotic microorganisms have shown antican- cer effects. The present study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity of Bacillus coagulans supernatants and their role in apoptosis induction in MCF7 cancer cells. Materials and Methods: The inhibition of MCF7 cancer cells by Bacillus coagulans supernatants was assessed by MTT assay at three exposure times of 24, 48, and 72 h. Apoptosis induction was explored by flow cytometry while the expression levels of bax, caspase 3, caspase 9, and bcl2 were examined by real-time PCR and compared with normal HFF cells. Results: Bacillus coagulans supernatants exhibited inhibitory effects on MCF7 cells in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner; while lower cytotoxic effects were observed in normal HFF cells. The increase in the expression of bax, caspase 3, and caspase 9 genes and the decrease in the anti-apoptotic gene of bcl2, along with the flow cytometry results, confirmed the induction of apoptosis in the cancer cells. Conclusion: Regarding the cytotoxic influence of Bacillus coagulans supernatants against breast cancer cells, this bacterium can be considered as a potential candidate for a novel therapeutic strategy with lower side effects which of course requires further investigations.

Ca2+ Participates in Programmed Cell Death by Modulating ROS During Pollen Cryopreservation

Programmed cell death (PCD) is one of the reasons for the decline in pollen viability after cryopreservation. However, the role of calcium ions (Ca2+) in PCD during pollen cryopreservation has not been revealed in the existing studies. In this study, Paeonia lactiflora 'Fen Yu Nu' pollen was used as the research material for investigating the effects of Ca2+ changes on PCD indices and reactive oxygen species (ROS) during pollen cryopreservation. The results showed that after cryopreservation, with the decrease of pollen viability, the Ca2+ content significantly increased. The regulation of Ca2+ content had a significant effect on PCD indices, which showed that the Ca2+ carrier A23187 accelerated the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential level and increased the activity of caspase-3-like and caspase-9-like proteases and the apoptosis rate. The expression levels of partial pro-PCD genes were upregulated, the anti-PCD gene BI-1 was downregulated, and the addition of Ca2+ chelating agent EGTA had the opposite effect. The addition of the Ca2+ carrier A23187 after cryopreservation significantly increased the ROS content of pollen, the addition of the Ca2+ chelating agent EGTA had the opposite effect, and Ca2+ regulators also had significant effects on the contents of ROS production and clearance-related substances. Ca2+ affected intracellular ROS content by acting on the ROS production and clearance system during the cryopreservation of pollen and is thus involved in the occurrence of PCD.