ABSTRACT
β-Elemene is an effective anti-cancer ingredient extracted from the genus Curcuma (Zingiberaceae familiy). In the present study, we demonstrated that β-elemene inhibited the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. In addition, β-elemene induced nuclear chromatin condensation and cell membrane phosphatidylserine eversion, decreased cell mitochondrial membrane potential, and promoted the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-9 and PARP proteins, indicating apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. At the same time, β-elemene induced autophagy response, and the treated cells showed autophagic vesicle bilayer membrane structure, which was accompanied by up-regulation of the expression of LC3B and SQSTM1. Furthermore, β-elemene increased ROS levels in colorectal cancer cells, promoted phosphorylation of AMPK protein, and inhibited mTOR protein phosphorylation. In the experiments in vivo, β-elemene inhibited the tumor size and induced apoptosis and autophagy in nude mice. In summary, β-elemene inhibited the occurrence and development of colon cancer xenografts in nude mice, and significantly induced apoptosis and autophagy in colorectal cancer cells in vitro. These effects were associated with regulation of the ROS/AMPK/mTOR signaling. We offered a molecular basis for the development of β-elemene as a promising anti-tumor drug candidate for colorectal cancer.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Mice , AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics , Apoptosis , Autophagy , Cell Line, Tumor , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Mice, Nude , Reactive Oxygen Species , Sesquiterpenes , TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/geneticsABSTRACT
Aim To investigate the possible mechanism of quercetin in promoting apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Methods Breast cancer cells MCF-7 were treated with quercetin. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay, cell proliferation and cloning ability were measured by plate colony formation assay, and cell apoptosis was examined by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay. Meanwhile, MCF-7 cells were treated with quercetin (40, 80, 160 μmol · L
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: With the continuous development of mesenchymal stem cell therapy, it has been reported that stem cell therapy is likely to cause the occurrence and development of tumors. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential risks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis after receiving human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) transplantation. METHODS: The study collected the information of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis treated with hUC-MSCs, admitted at the Infectious Disease Department of the 105thHospital of PLA from January 2011 to December 2013. The following investigation lasted 36 months. The follow-up was terminated at the time of diagnostic confirmation. The risk factors that may affect the occurrence of HCC were analyzed by univariate Logistic and multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) A total of 386 patients were followed up, including 171 patients who received hUC-MSCs transplantation as the observation group and 215 patients only given general internal medicine treatment as the control group. (2) At the follow-up of 12 months, the incidence of HCC in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). At the follow-up of 36 months, the incidence of HCC was 11.7% in the observation group and 9.8% in the control group (P > 0.05). (3) Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the HCC patients had higher age, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alpha-fetoprotein variants (AFP-L3), AFP-L3 ratio (AFP-L3%), and Golgi glycoprotein 73 (GP73) than those with no HCC in both control and observation groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analysis showed that only APF-L3% was an independent risk factor for HCC in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis undergoing hUC-MSCs transplantation. Overall, hUC-MSCs transplantation does not increase the HCC incidence in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis within 3 years, but it may lead to an early onset of HCC. AFP-L3% can be used as an early predictor of HCC in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis undergoing hUC-MSCs transplantation.