Biosynthesis and Anticancer Activity of Genistein Glycoside Derivatives.

As a beneficial natural flavonoid, genistein has demonstrated a wide range of biological functions via regulating a number of targets and signaling pathways, such as anti-cancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, iron chelation, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, and anti-hypertension. PubMed/Medline and Web of Science were searched using appropriate keywords until the end of December 2023. Despite its many potential benefits, genistein's clinical application is limited by low hydrophilicity, poor solubility, and suboptimal bioavailability due to its structure. These challenges can be addressed through the conversion of genistein into glycosides. Glycosylation of active small molecules may enhance their solubility, stability, and biological activity. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on the synthesis, properties, and anticancer activity of glycoconjugates. Previous reviews were devoted to discussing the biological activities of genistin, with a little summary of the biosynthesis and the structure-activity relationship for their anticancer activity of genistein glycoside derivatives. Therefore, we summarized recent advances in the biosynthesis of genistein glycosylation and discussed the antitumor activities of genistein glycoside derivatives in a structure-activity relationship, which may provide important information for further development of genistein derivatives.

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine exercise therapy for the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders in university students: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mental health disorders are highly prevalent among university students. Mental health is important in the healthy growth and overall development of university students. Many studies have indicated that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exercise therapies can alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms in university students. However, their definite efficacy and the optimal choice of TCM exercise therapy remain controversial. In this study, we aim to assess and compare the effects of different TCM exercise therapies on anxiety and depression symptoms in university students by network meta-analysis. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining TCM exercise therapies for the anxiety and depression in university students published before January 2022 will be searched in online databases, including the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Scientific Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Database. Two researchers will be independently responsible for literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of their quality. Standard pairwise and network meta-analysis will be performed to compare the efficacy of different TCM exercise therapies on anxiety and depression symptoms in university students using Stata14.0 and GeMTC0.14.3. RESULTS: The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis will provide the evidence for supporting the intervention strategies of TCM exercise therapy for improving negative emotions such as anxiety and depression among university students.OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/VTGBE.

LncRNA FLJ33360 accelerates the metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting miRNA-140/MMP9 axis.

This study aims to detect expression level of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) FLJ33360 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its regulatory effects on accelerating malignant progression of HCC. Expression levels of FLJ33360 in 29 matched HCC tissues and paracancerous tissues were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). After transfection of sh-FLJ33360#1 in Bel-7402 and HepG2 cells, changes in migratory and invasive capacities were evaluated by Transwell and wound healing assay. Potential miRNAs targeting FLJ33360 were verified. The correlation between expression levels of FLJ33360 and miRNA-140 in HCC tissues was determined. At last, potential influences of FLJ33360/miRNA-140 regulatory loop on HCC phenotypes were determined by rescue experiments. FLJ33360 was upregulated in HCC tissues relative to paracancerous ones. After knockdown of FLJ33360, migratory and invasive capacities in Bel-7402 and HepG2 cells were attenuated. There were five miRNA candidates predicted to bind FLJ33360, and miRNA-140 was the most differentially expressed by FLJ33360 regulation. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the binding between FLJ33360 and miRNA-140. Besides, their expression levels were negatively correlated in HCC tissues. Moreover, knockdown of miRNA-140 could stimulate metastatic ability in HCC. At last, rescue experiments verified the involvement of miRNA-140 in FLJ33360-regulated HCC progression. LncRNA FLJ33360 is upregulated in HCC. It accelerates the metastasis of HCC through targeting miRNA-140/MMP9 axis.

ICAM-5/Telencephalin Is a Functional Entry Receptor for Enterovirus D68.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a member of the Picornaviridae family. Although EV-D68-associated infection was once considered rare, it has been increasing in recent years. EV-D68 infection is most frequently associated with respiratory illness. However, it has also been implicated in a polio-like neurological disorder, acute flaccid myelitis. Although sialic acid has been implicated in EV-D68 entry, the existence of a protein receptor has yet to be clarified. Here we identify neuron-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 5 (ICAM-5/telencephalin) as a cellular receptor for sialic acid-dependent and -independent EV-D68 viruses. EV-D68 bound specifically and efficiently to ICAM-5, and replication of EV-D68 in diverse cell types was inhibited by soluble ICAM-5 fragments. ICAM-5 silencing attenuated EV-D68 replication in permissive cells, and ICAM-5 expression in non-permissive cells allowed EV-D68 replication. The discovery of a neuron-specific adhesion molecule as an EV-D68 receptor has important implications for EV-D68 pathogenesis and may facilitate the development of novel intervention strategies.

[The mechanism of apoptosis of chronic myeloid leukemia cells induced by the novel p210 bcr/abl inhibitor berbamine].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of apoptosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells induced by the novel p210 bcr/abl inhibitor berbamine. METHODS: Human Ph+ CML leukemia K562 cells, which express endogenous p210 bcr/abl protein, were cultured in RPMI 1640 and treated with berbamine as indicated time and dose. Flow cytometry (FCM) and Annexin-V-Fluos/PI staining kit were used to evaluate the apoptosis of leukemic cells; FCM and cytoperm/cytofix plus Caspase-3-McAb-PE were employed to measure the leukemic cells with activated Caspase-3. Phosphorylation of p210 bcr/abl protein in the leukemic cells were assessed by a combination of immunoprecipitation (IP) with c-abl antibody and Western blotting with p-Tyr (pY99) antibody. The protein levels of p210 bcr/abl, Hsp90 and Hsp70 in the leukemic cells were determined by Western blotting with antibodies to c-abl, Hsp90, and Hsp70 respectively. RESULTS: After treatment with berbamine at 8 microg/ml for 48 h, the percentages of leukemic cells expressing activated caspase-3 and apoptotic cells were 45.69% and 48.43% respectively. IP and WB results showed that berbamine at low concentration markedly inhibited phosphorylation of p210 bcr/abl protein in the leukemia cells, and the amount of phosphorylated p210 bcr/abl in the leukemia cells exposed to berbamine at 8 microg/ml for 6 h were only 8.41% of that of untreated leukemia cells without the protein levels of p210 bcr/abl down-regulated. Significantly, berbamine also down-regulated chaperone Hsp90 protein, and the amount of Hsp90 protein in the leukemia cells treated with berbamine at 8 microg/ml for 48 h accounted for 18.37% of that of the untreated leukemia cells. Berbamine at 8 microg/ml had no obvious effect on chaperone Hsp70 protein expression associated with the resistance of leukemia cells to apoptosis. CONCLUSION: (1) Berbamine induces caspase-3-mediated apoptosis of Ph+ leukemia cells through inhibiting phosphorylation of p210 bcr/abl protein and down-regulating its chaperone Hsp90 protein. (2) Unlike Hsp90 inhibitor GA that upregulates Hsp70, berbamine has no obvious effect on chaperone Hsp70 protein expression in leukemia cells, suggesting that berbamine may be a novel class of Hsp90 inhibitor, and further study is required.

Berbamine: a novel inhibitor of bcr/abl fusion gene with potent anti-leukemia activity.

Gleevec, which is an inhibitor of the bcr/abl tyrosine kinase, has been a remarkable success for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). However, a significant proportion of patients chronically treated with Gleevec develop resistance. Here we describe the activity of a natural small molecular compound, berbamine from plant Berberis amurensis that can selectively induce cell death of both Gleevec-sensitive and -resistant Ph+ CML cells. The IC50 values of berbamine were 8.80 microg/ml in Gleevec-sensitive Ph+ CML cells, 11.34 microg/ml in Gleevec-resistant Ph+ CML cells, and 54.40 microg/ml in Ph- KG-1 cells, respectively. Similarly, berbamine was also found to display a selective anti-proliferative activity of primary leukemia cells from CML patients, and its IC50 values were 4.20-10.50 microg/ml in primary CML cells, and 185.20 microg/ml in normal bone marrow cells, respectively. More importantly, our studies demonstrate that berbamine down-regulates p210bcr/abl oncoprotein level, and induces apoptosis of bcr/abl+ cells through caspase-3-dependent pathway. These data suggest that berbamine might be a novel bcr/abl inhibitor with potent anti-leukemia activity.

[Overexpression of Shp-2 is associated with the unlimited growth and apoptosis resistance of p210 bcr-abl-mediated chronic myeloid leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression level of Shp-2 tyrosine phosphatase in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and its relationship with the unlimited growth and apoptosis resistance of p210 bcr/abl-induced malignant cells. METHODS: In this study, p210 bcr/abl positive leukemia cell specimens were obtained from 25 CML cases, meanwhile, bone marrow and peripheral blood cell samples from 8 non-tumor individuals and 10 normal individuals were used as p210 bcr/abl negative controls. K562 and KU812 leukemia cells were used as p210 bcr/abl positive controls, and KG-1 leukemia cell line was used as Shp-2 positive control. Specimens of peripheral blood and bone marrow of 25 adult patients of chronic myelocytic leukemia, 15 males and 10 females, aged 28-64, were collected. Specimens of bone marrow of 8 basically healthy adult volunteers and specimens of peripheral blood of 10 healthy adult volunteers were used as controls. The total cell protein was collected and the expression of Shp-2 was examined by Western blotting. Human leukemia cells of the line K562 were cultured. Shp-2 specific sense and antisense oligonucleotides were added into the culture fluid respectively. The cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). STI571, specific inhibitor of p210 bcr/abl was added into the cultured fluid of K562 cells, then Western blotting and FCM were used to detect the protein expression of Shp-2 and p210 bcr/abl, and cell apoptosis. RESULTS: Phosphorylated Shp-2 (pShp)-2 protein was overexpressed in 92% (23/25) of the CML cells, but lowly expressed or not expressed in the normal hematopoietic cells. The mean pShp-2 protein/beta-actin ratio of the primary CML leukemia cells was 0.91 +/- 0.62, significantly higher than those of the normal bone marrow cells and peripheral blood hematopoietic cells (0.16 +/- 0.09 and 0.03 +/- 0.05 respectively, both P < 0.01). The apoptotic rates of the CML cells treated by Shp-2 specific antisense oligonucleotide of the concentrations of 1 micromol/L and 4 micromol/L respectively for 72 h was 7.98% and 20.29% respectively, both significantly higher than that of the control group (4.06%, P < 0.01). The number of clone of CML cells treated by 0.25 micromol/L and 1.0 micromol/L Shp-2 specific antisense oligonucleotide for 7 days were 67% (37/60) and 11.9% (5/42) that of the control group. Twenty-four and 48 hours after the stimulation of STI571 the expression level of Shp-2 protein in the CML cells decreased time-dependently and the CML cell apoptotic rates were 31.15% and 38.69% respectively, both lower than that of the control group (33.6%). The number of clone of CML cells effected by 0.25 micromol/L and 1.0 micromol/L Shp-2 specific antisense oligonucleotide for 7 days was 67% (37/60) and 11.9% (5/42) that of the control group. Twenty-four and 48 hours after the stimulation of STI571 the expression level of Shp-2 protein in the CML cells decreased time-dependently and the CML cell apoptotic rates were 31.15% and 38.69% respectively, both lower than that of the control group (33.6%). CONCLUSION: (1) The pShp-2 protein is overexpressed in CML cells, which is associated with the unlimited growth and apoptosis resistance of malignant cells. (2) Shp-2 is upregulated by p210 bcr/abl oncoprotein in CML.

Overexpression of Shp2 tyrosine phosphatase is implicated in leukemogenesis in adult human leukemia.

Shp2 tyrosine phosphatase plays a critical role in hematopoiesis, and dominant active mutations have been detected in the human gene PTPN11, encoding Shp2, in child leukemia patients. We report here that although no such mutations were detected in 44 adult leukemia patients screened, Shp2 expression levels were significantly elevated in primary leukemia cells and leukemia cell lines, as compared with normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. The Shp2 protein amounts correlated well with the hyperproliferative capacity but were inversely associated with the differentiation degree of leukemia cells. Suppression of Shp2 expression induced apoptosis and inhibition of leukemic cell clonogenic growth. Notably, the majority of Shp2 was preferentially localized to the plasma membrane and was constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine in leukemia cells, and also in normal hematopoietic cells following mitogenic stimulation. Based on these results, we propose that aberrantly increased expression of Shp2 may contribute, collaboratively with other factors, to leukemogenesis.