Anticarcinogenic Effects of Dried Citrus Peel in Colon Carcinogenesis Due to Inhibition of Oxidative Stress.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Reactive oxygen species produce oxidative stress and contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis. Because dietary citrus has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, we investigated the effects of citrus peel extract at dilutions of 1/200-1/500 on the activity of oxidative-stress-related transcription factors, including AP-1, NF-κB, NRF2, p53, and STAT3, in human colon cancer cell line HCT116 cells using a luciferase reporter gene assay. NRF2 transcriptional activities were 1.8- to 2.0-fold higher than the untreated control value. In addition, NF-κB, p53, and STAT3 transcriptional activities were 12-26% lower than the untreated control value. Administration of dried citrus peel in the diet of F344 rats at a dose of 1,000 ppm prevented the formation of azoxymethane-induced precancerous aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon. The total number of ACF in rats fed with dried citrus peel was reduced to 75% of the control value. Moreover, the levels of oxidative-stress-related markers, reactive carbonyl species, in the serum of F344 rats were significantly reduced following the administration of dried citrus peel. These data suggest that citrus peel possesses an ability to suppress cellular oxidative stress through induction of NRF2, thereby preventing azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis.

Irsogladine maleate, a gastric mucosal protectant, suppresses intestinal polyp development in Apc-mutant mice.

This study aimed to identify gastric mucosal protectants that suppress intestinal tumorigenesis in a mouse model. We chose six gastric mucosal protectants (ecabet sodium hydrate, irsogladine maleate, rebamipide, sofalcone, teprenone and troxipide) and examined their effects on the activity of oxidative stress-related transcriptional factors, including AP-1, NF-jB, NRF2, p53 and STAT3, in Caco-2 cells using a luciferase reporter gene assay. Among the six protectants, irsogladine maleate clearly inhibited NF-jB and AP-1 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, the chemopreventive property of irsogladine maleate was examined in a Min mouse model of familial adenomatous polyposis. Treatment with irsogladine maleate at doses of 5 and 50 ppm significantly reduced the number of intestinal polyps to 69% and 66% of the untreated control value, respectively. In these polyps, mRNA levels of the downstream targets of NF-jB, such as IL-1ß and IL-6, were decreased by irsogladine maleate treatment. Moreover, the levels of oxidative stress-related markers, reactive carbonyl species, in the livers of Min mice were clearly decreased following the administration of irsogladine maleate. This study demonstrated that irsogladine maleate suppresses intestinal polyp formation in Min mice partly through the NF-jB signaling pathway, thus reducing oxidative stress.

Suppressive effects of the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin on intestinal tumorigenesis in obese KK-A(y) and Apc mutant Min mice.

Obesity is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. The accumulation of abdominal fat tissue causes abundant reactive oxygen species production through the activation of NADPH oxidase due to excessive insulin stimulation. The enzyme NADPH oxidase catalyzes the production of reactive oxygen species and evokes the initiation and progression of tumorigenesis. Apocynin is an NADPH oxidase inhibitor that blocks the formation of the NADPH oxidase complex (active form). In this study, we investigated the effects of apocynin on the development of azoxymethane-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci in obese KK-A(y) mice and on the development of intestinal polyps in Apc mutant Min mice. Six-week-old KK-A(y) mice were injected with azoxymethane (200 µg/mouse once per week for 3 weeks) and given 250 mg/L apocynin or 500 mg/L apocynin in their drinking water for 7 weeks. Six-week-old Min mice were also treated with 500 mg/L apocynin for 6 weeks. Treatment with apocynin reduced the number of colorectal aberrant crypt foci in KK-A(y) mice by 21% and the number of intestinal polyps in Min mice by 40% compared with untreated mice. Both groups of mice tended to show improved oxidation of serum low-density lipoprotein and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine adducts in their adipose tissues. In addition, the inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels in polyp tissues decreased. Moreover, apocynin was shown to suppress nuclear factor-κB transcriptional activity in vitro. These results suggest that apocynin and other NADPH oxidase inhibitors may be effective colorectal cancer chemopreventive agents.

Suppression of intestinal carcinogenesis in Apc-mutant mice by limonin.

Limonoids in citrus fruits are known to possess multiple biological functions, such as anti-proliferative functions in human cancer cell lines. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the suppressive effect of limonin on intestinal polyp development in Apc-mutant Min mice. Five-week-old female Min mice were fed a basal diet or a diet containing 250 or 500 ppm limonin for 8 weeks. The total number of polyps in mice treated with 500 ppm limonin decreased to 74% of the untreated control value. Neoplastic cell proliferation in the polyp parts was assessed by counting PCNA positive cells, and a tendency of reduction was obtained by limonin treatment. Moreover, expression levels of c-Myc and MCP-1 mRNA in the polyp part were reduced by administration of limonin. We finally confirmed the effects of limonin on ß-catenin signaling, and found limonin significantly inhibited T-cell factor/lymphocyte enhancer factor-dependent transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner in the Caco-2 human colon cancer cell line. Our results suggest that limonin might be a candidate chemopreventive agent against intestinal carcinogenesis.

Involvement of NADPH oxidases in suppression of cyclooxygenase-2 promoter-dependent transcriptional activities by sesamol.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been shown to play an important role in colon carcinogenesis. Moreover, one of the components of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1), dominantly expressed in the colon, is implicated in the pathogenesis of colon cancer. We have reported that sesamol, one of the lignans in sesame seeds, suppressed COX-2 gene transcriptional activity in human colon cancer cells, and also suppressed intestinal polyp formation in Apc-mutant mice. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of NADPH oxidase in the inhibition of COX-2 transcriptional activity by sesamol. We found that several NADPH oxidase inhibitors, such as apocynin, showed suppressive effects on COX-2 transcriptional activity. Moreover, sesamol significantly suppressed NOX1 mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we demonstrated that knockdown of NOX1 successfully suppressed COX-2 transcriptional activity. These results suggest that inhibition of NADPH oxidase, especially NOX1, may be involved in the mechanism of the suppression of COX-2 transcriptional activity by sesamol.

Sesamol suppresses cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity in colon cancer cells and modifies intestinal polyp development in Apc (Min/+) mice.

Excessive prostaglandin production by cyclooxygenase-2 in stromal and epithelial cells is a causative factor of colorectal carcinogenesis. Thus, compounds which inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity in colon epithelial cells could be candidates for anti-carcinogenic agents. A cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity in the human colon cancer cell line DLD-1 has been measured using a ß-galactosidase reporter gene system. Using this system, we demonstrated that the decrease in basal cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activities at 100 µM sesamol, one of the lignans in sesame seeds, was 50%. Other compounds in sesame seeds such as sesamin, sesamolin, ferulic acid, and syringic acid did not exhibit significant suppression of cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity at up to 100 µM. In a following experiment, 6-week-old male Min mice, Apc-deficient mice, were divided into a non-treated and 500 ppm sesamol groups. At the age of 15 weeks, it was found that treatment with sesamol decreased the number of polyps in the middle part of small intestine to 66.1% of the untreated value. Moreover, sesamol suppressed cyclooxygenase-2 and cytosolic prostaglandin E2 synthase mRNA in the polyp parts. The present findings may demonstrate the novel anti-carcinogenetic property of sesamol, and imply that agents that can suppress cyclooxygenase-2 expression may be useful cancer chemopreventive agents.

Bi-directional regulation between adiponectin and plasminogen activator-inhibitor-1 in 3T3-L1 cells.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin (APN) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (Pai-1) are adipocytokines, and low levels of serum APN and high levels of PAI-1 are observed in obese patients. Moreover, both APN and Pai-1 are known to be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis. Recently, we demonstrated that serum Pai-1 levels are elevated in APN-deficient mice. We hypothesized that Pai-1 expression levels could be depressed by APN. Thus, we aimed to clarify the bi-directional regulatory mechanisms between APN and Pai-1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the expression levels of APN and Pai-1 during 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation, and examined the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ on APN and Pai-1 expression at early and late differentiation stages. RESULTS: In the early phase of differentiation, Pai-1 expression increased and APN slightly decreased. Reduction of Pai-1 or activation of PPARγ resulted in elevation of APN, and supplementation of APN with activation of AMPK resulted in reduction of Pai-1. In the late phase of differentiation, APN increased its expression and Pai-1 decreased. Supplementation of Pai-1 resulted in a slight reduction of APN. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that APN and Pai-1 expressions are inversely-regulated. Understanding of the regulatory system between APN and Pai-1 may lead to finding novel methods for colorectal cancer prevention.