RESUMO
Studies have demonstrated that pigment-epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a robust inhibitor of tumour growth and development, implying that this may serve as a promising target for therapeutic intervention. However, the precise impact of PEDF on cancerous cell metabolic pathways remains uncertain despite ongoing research. In this light, this study aimed to employ a metabolomics approach for understanding the metabolic reprogramming events in breast cancer across different glycaemic loads and their response to PEDF. Gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/Q-MS) analysis revealed metabolic alterations in ER+ human cell line MCF-7 cells treated with PEDF under varying glycaemic conditions. The identification of significantly altered metabolites was accomplished through MetaboAnalyst (v.5.0) and R packages, which enabled both multivariate and univariate analyses. Out of the 48 metabolites identified, 14 were chosen based on their significant alterations in MCF-7 cells under different glycaemic conditions and PEDF treatment (p < 0.05, VIP > 0.8). Dysregulation in pathways associated with amino acid metabolism, intermediates of the TCA cycle, nucleotide metabolism, and lipid metabolism were detected, and they exhibited different responses to PEDF. Our results suggest that PEDF has a diverse influence on the metabolism of MCF-7 cells in both normo- and hyperglycaemic environments, thereby warranting studies using patient samples to correlate our findings with clinical response in the future.
RESUMO
Although the liver has long been considered as a main organ responsible for drug metabolism, the role of the gut metabolizing enzymes and the gut microflora is becoming more profoundly evident in drug metabolism, absorption and overall efficacy. This review will explore various mechanisms by which the gut-microflora influences drug pharmacokinetics including biotransformation, bioactivation, and biodegradation as well as up- or down-regulation of the epithelial transporters. The gut-luminal fluids, intestinal mucosa and gut microflora contain high concentrations of various enzymes which are responsible for the oxidation, hydrolysis and conjugation of drugs. Such metabolic reactions may lead to either drug over- or under-dosing, which impacts the drugs efficacy and safety. The processes, by which the intestinal enzymes and gut-protein transporters influence drug pharmacokinetic parameters, will be detailed. Since the intestinal microflora plays an important role in physiological, nutritional, metabolic, and immunological processes in human body, there is currently some interest in the manipulation of its composition and activity by administering probiotics. This review will also examine the capacity of probiotics to interact with resident microbial community, affecting the respective enzymes or by providing their own specific enzymatic activities that may consequently change the bioavailability and pharmacological activity of concomitantly taken drugs.
