Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Research Articles

Exploring the anticancer properties of indole pyrimidine derivatives: Synthesis, structural insights, docking analysis, and in vitro evaluation

The nitrogen containing heterocyclic and chalcones moiety widely recognized as favorable combination of diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in medicinal chemistry. In particular, indole analogs play a very important medicinal role in pharmacology activities, hence, drugs like pindolol, indomethacin, oxypertine, ellipticine, arbidol and ate viridine are well known in market. In this view, the title compounds 4(a-j) were synthesized in good yield. The purified compounds were explained by spectroscopic procedures (FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13CNMR, and LC-MS), and lastly, all synthetic compounds have in-vitro efficacy assessed against the HeLa human cervical cancer and MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines, and their efficacy was compared to that of the well-known anticancer drug methotrexate (Methotrexate). Compounds 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4e from the series (4a-j) demonstrated the most notable inhibitory activity. The cytotoxicity evaluation of these newly synthesized compounds revealed that 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4e were the most toxic to HeLa cells, with IC50 values for growth inhibition of 20.41 ± 3.14, 23.54 ± 3.27, 24.77 ± 2.14, and 26.10 ± 1.58, respectively. These compounds exhibited an even stronger growth-inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cells, with IC50 values of 18.84 ± 2.69, 19.45 ± 3.14, 22.83 ± 2.68, and 21.80 ± 1.68, respectively. In comparison, methotrexate (Methotrexate) showed IC50 values of 28.29 ± 1.0 for HeLa cells and 45.08 ± 2.61 for MCF-7 cells. Additionally, compounds 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4e played a crucial role in interacting with the catalytic domain of PDE3, demonstrating IC50 values for PDE3A inhibition of 8.05 ± 1.27, 7.55 ± 2.14, 15.09 ± 1.54, and 17.12 ± 3.14, respectively. These results are compared with Cilostazol, a known PDE inhibitor, which exhibited an IC50 of 0.00368 ± 3.14. In-silico studies revealed that compounds (4a, 4b, and 4c) are comparatively very efficient in binding with PDE3A which was further validated with MMGBSA and MDSs.

Hypoxia-activated prodrug combining site-specific chemotherapy and light-driven photothermal therapy

The development of a highly effective and low toxic drug is very beneficial for precise cancer therapy. Herein, taking advantage of the hypoxic nature of tumors, we carefully designed and synthesized the first hypoxia-activated single-molecule prodrug BDP-CPT-NO2 for fluorescence imaging-guided chemo-photothermal dual-mode therapy. The prodrug contains the chemotherapeutic drug camptothecin (CPT) and a boron dipyrromethene (BDP)-based photothermal agent, which are connected through a nitroreductase (NTR)-responsive linker (a nitro unit), and shows no fluorescence and extremely low cytotoxicity under normoxia. However, the nitro in the prodrug could be reduced to amino by exogenous NTR with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in PBS buffer solution and endogenous NTR in hypoxic cancer cells, which is followed by a self-immolative reaction that leads to the release of CPT and BDP-COOH. This process is accompanied by significantly enhanced BDP and CPT fluorescence, which are due to NTR-induced ester-to-carboxylate conversion and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) interruption, respectively. Concomitantly, BDP-CPT-NO2 displays powerful combined chemo-PTT therapeutic efficacy, as evidenced in human cervical cancer HeLa and human liver cancer HepG2 cells, as well as in mice bearing H22 tumors. This study provides a promising strategy for effective and selective cancer treatment by hypoxia-activated prodrugs caged within organic photothermal agents.

Study on the Active Components and Inhibiting Effect of Melastoma dodecandrum Lour. on Human Cervical Cancer Cells Based on Spectrum–Effect Relationship Analysis

Background The ethnic drug Melastoma dodecandrum Lour. (MDL) is an important medicinal plant with potential antitumor properties, which have been proposed as promising anticancer agents, but the material basis for its therapeutic effect is still unclear and lacks in-depth research. Methods In this study, the in vitro antitumor effects of different MDL extracts in different gynecological tumor cells were investigated by CCK-8 assay. The active components of 21 batches of MDL samples collected from different product areas and markets were determined and compared by the UPLC method. On this basis, the data was processed with the fingerprint similarity software, and the correlation between MDL fingerprint and antihuman cervical cancer activity was further analyzed by a multivariate statistical method. Results Five kinds of MDL extracts, including the aqueous extract, the crude polysaccharide, the total polyphenol, the ethyl acetate fraction of the aqueous extract and 50% ethanol extract, had inhibitory effects on human cervical cancer HeLa and SiHa cells, among which total polyphenols of MDL showed stronger inhibition effect on human cervical cancer cells. In addition, the fingerprint of the total polyphenols of MDL had sixteen common peaks, and six common peaks were checked by using diode array and UV spectra, among which peak 1 (gallic acid), peak 4 (protocatechuic acid), peak 12 (unknown), and peak 15 (ellagic acid) were negatively correlated with the IC50 value of the SiHa cells, and all variable importance values were greater than 1. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that the main active components of MDL inhibiting human cervical cancer SiHa cells may be the synergistic effect of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and ellagic acid, and the further spectrum-effect relationship analysis provides an important reference and basis for the quality control and the development of new anticervical cancer drug of MDL.

Synthesis and Preliminary Screening of the Biological Activity of Sulindac Sulfoximine Derivatives

Sulindac is a well-known anti-inflammatory agent, sometimes employed as an adjuvant in antitumor therapy. Due to the recent interest in sulfoximine for its potential chemotherapeutics, we decided to transform sulindac and its methyl ester into the corresponding sulfoximines to test their antitumor activity. These compounds were fully characterized. Eventually, sulindac, sulindac methyl ester and the two novel corresponding sulfoximines were tested against malignant cells of U-87 glioblastoma, MCF-7 human breast cancer, HepG2 human liver hepatocellular carcinoma, CaCo-2 human colon cancer, and HeLa human cervical cancer. Interesting preliminary results were observed that encourage new investigations in this research theme.

Front Cover: Furo[2,3‐d]pyrimidines as Mackinazolinone/Isaindigotone Analogs: Synthesis, Modification, Antitumor Activity, and Molecular Docking Study (Chem. Biodiversity 3/2023)

Front Cover. Cancer has become a leading cause of death worldwide, oncology suggests chemotherapeutical drugs based on synthesized anticancer agents, phytomedicine, and metal complexes so far. On this basis, naturally-occurring alkaloids mackinazolinone and isaindigotone were as templates of target heterocycles, the synthesis of tricyclofuran[2,3-d]pyrimidine was studied under scaffold-hopping strategies, the synthesized compounds showed inhibitory effects on human cervical cancer HeLa and colon HT-29 cells. The results of molecular docking showed that the compounds with antitumor activity were well bound to the target EGFR protein and the matching degree was high, so the compounds have potential prospect, as reported by B. Song et al. in their research article at 10.1002/cbdv.202201059. 2023 VOLUME 20 NO. 3

A tricarbonyl rhenium(I) complex decorated with boron dipyrromethene for endoplasmic reticulum-targeted photodynamic therapy

Organelle-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) has recently emerged as a promising strategy for developing effective and precise cancer therapy. Selective generation of highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) region by PDT can effectively kill cancer cells. In this work, an ER-targeted tricarbonyl Re(I) complex (Re-BDP) was designed and synthesized by combining a tricarbonyl Re(I) unit and a photoactive boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) chromophore moiety. Complex Re-BDP was characterized by ESI-MS, 1H NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The complex displayed strong absorbance (ε = 6.56 × 104/M−1 cm−1 in CH2Cl2) in the visible light region (∼512 nm) and a high singlet oxygen quantum yield (ΦΔ = 0.89 in methanol). Co-localization assays revealed that it accumulated preferentially in the ER. Complex Re-BDP exhibited high phototoxicity upon visible light (525 nm) irradiation toward human cervical cancer HeLa, human lung cancer A549 and human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Mechanism experiments showed that complex Re-BDP caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and induced ER stress in HeLa cells upon light irradiation, leading to caspase-dependent apoptosis, accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction. Overall, the results demonstrate that complex Re-BDP is a promising phototherapeutic agent for ER-targeted cancer phototherapy. This work highlights the effectiveness of developing efficient organelle-targeted metal-based phototherapeutic agents by appropriate conjugation of metal complexes and organic chromophores.

Anticancer activity of Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) Inhibitor, JG-98, against human cervical cancer HeLa and ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells

Cervical and ovarian cancer are two aggressive neoplasms for women, still with high mortality and morbidity. Among the molecules and compounds that have anticancer activity, it was studied the JG-98, a heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) inhibitor. It demonstrated inhibitory effects on the growth of neoplastic cells, mediated by the induction of apoptosis, with anti-proliferation activity on neoplastic cells via the apoptotic pathway. The authors investigated the antiproliferative effects of JG-98 on human cervical cancer HeLa and ovarian cancer SKOV-3, examined by a standard XTT assay. Apoptotic effects and oxidative status were also evaluated by flow cytometry, ELISA, and total oxidant status assays in HeLa cells, respectively. The IC50 values of JG-98 in HeLa and SKOV-3 cells were recorded as 1.79 and 2.96 μM, respectively. Flow cytometry results showed that JG-98 treatment remarkably increased the proportion of apoptotic cells at IC50 concentration. The JG-98 treatment significantly increased the proteins Bax, cleaved caspase 3, cleaved PARP, and 8-oxo-dG levels, all indicators of cellular apoptosis. These findings show that JG-98 significantly decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in HeLa cells, suggesting that JG-98 has a promising anti-tumor effect in cervical and ovarian cancers.

Ferula communis L. (Apiaceae) Root Acetone-Water Extract: Phytochemical Analysis, Cytotoxicity and In Vitro Evaluation of Estrogenic Properties.

Ferula communis L. (F. communis) belongs to the Apiaceae family and is a herbaceous plant with various pharmaceutical properties, due to the different contents of bioactive compounds extracted mainly from its roots, as well as its leaves and rhizome. To date, this plant extract has demonstrated estrogenic, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, antimicrobial and anti-neoplastic properties. Its estrogenic activity is justified by the presence of ferutinin, an ester of a sesquiterpenic alcohol that acts as an agonist for estrogen receptors, with a chemical formula equal to C22H3O4. The component present in F. communis responsible for the toxicity of the plant is ferulenol, a prenylated coumarin with the chemical formula C24H30O3. This compound is capable of inducing mortality via its strong anti-coagulant properties, leading to a lethal hemorrhagic syndrome, ferulosis, in animals that feed on a chemotype of F. communis containing a high amount of ferulenol. The removal of the component ferulenol makes extracts of Ferula non-toxic. In fact, the remaining prenylated coumarins are not present in concentrations sufficient to induce toxicity. The intake of high concentrations of the extract of this plant leads a double dose-dependent effect that is typical of sesquiterpenes such as ferutinin. Here, we assessed the cytotoxicity and the estrogenic properties of the F. communis phytocomplex obtained through extraction using a mixture of acetone and water. Among the active constituents of F. communis, the identification of ferutinin and ferulenol was performed using HPLC. The effects of the extract were evaluated, following the removal of ferulenol, on three cell lines: human breast cancer MCF-7, human cervical cancer HeLa and human osteoblastic sarcoma Saos-2. The choice of these cell lines was justified by the need to mimic certain processes which may occur in vivo and which are estrogen-dependent. The obtained results demonstrated that F. communis extract, in addition to possessing an estrogenic-like property, showed a dose-dependent effect. Low concentrations (0.1–0.8 μM) demonstrated a hyperproliferative effect, whereas higher concentrations (1.6–50 μM) were toxic. Therefore, this extract could be an excellent candidate to make up for a reduction or lack of estrogen.

ASSESMENT OF ANTIOXIDANT AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVIY OF ESSENTIAL OIL EXTRACTED FROM LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA CALLUS LEAVES

This study was aimed to estimate the effect of essential oil extracted from callus of Lavandula angustifolia leaves as antioxidant and cytotoxic activity (in vitro). Different concentrations of essentail oil were selected, including 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 µg/ml in determining antioxidant activity by using Free radical 1,1 Dyphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH). The results showed the efficacy of essentail oil as an antioxidant and the highest effect at 100 µg/ml reaching 97% and 87% at 80 µg/ml respectively. Different concentrations of essential oil ( 12.5, 25, 50,75 and 100) µg/ml were select to determine the effect of oil on human cervical cancer (HeLa) cancer cell line and a breast epithelial cell line (HBL) normal cell line after 72 hours from exposure time, and then antiproliferative activity of this oil was studied using MTT assay. The results showed the oil of L. angustifolia callus have high antioxidant influence (97%) in 100 µg/ml concentration followed by (87%) in concentration 80 µg/ml. The inhibition effect of extract on cell proliferation in HeLa cell line at highest concentration which reached 77%. The study confirmed the possibility of using essential oil from L. angustifolia callus could be used for medical application and treatment various types of cancer disease.

Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide)-coated upconverting NaYF4:Yb,Er@NaYF4:Nd core\u2013shell nanoparticles for fluorescent labeling of carcinoma cells

Upconverting luminescent lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (UCNP) belong to promising new materials that absorb infrared light able to penetrate in the deep tissue level, while emitting photons in the visible or ultraviolet region, which makes them favorable for bioimaging and cell labeling. Here, we have prepared upconverting NaYF4:Yb,Er@NaYF4:Nd core–shell nanoparticles, which were coated with copolymers of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and 2-(acryloylamino)-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid (AMPS) or tert-butyl [2-(acryloylamino)ethyl]carbamate (AEC-Boc) with negative or positive charges, respectively. The copolymers were synthesized by a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, reaching Mn ~ 11 kDa and containing ~ 5 mol% of reactive groups. All copolymers contained bisphosphonate end-groups to be firmly anchored on the surface of NaYF4:Yb,Er@NaYF4:Nd core–shell nanoparticles. To compare properties of polymer coatings, poly(ethylene glycol)-coated and neat UCNP were used as a control. UCNP with various charges were then studied as labels of carcinoma cells, including human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2, human cervical cancer HeLa, and rat insulinoma INS-1E cells. All the particles proved to be biocompatible (nontoxic); depending on their ξ-potential, the ability to penetrate the cells differed. This ability together with the upconversion luminescence are basic prerequisites for application of particles in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of various tumors, where emission of nanoparticles in visible light range at ~ 650 nm excites photosensitizer.

Evaluating the in vitro Cytotoxicity of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil on MCF-7 and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines

Thyme essential oil (TEO) was extracted from dried leaves of Thymus vulgaris. The air-dried aerial parts of the plant produced 1.0% yield of TEO. The detection of this essential oil’s compounds was performed by GC-MASS. The cytotoxic activity of TEO was evaluated against two human cancer cell lines, namely HeLa (human epithelial cervical cancer) and MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma). Cells grown in 96 multi-well plates were treated with six concentrations of EO (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200 ppm) and incubated at 37 °C for 72 hrs. Cancer cell lines elicited various degrees of sensitivity to the cytotoxic effect of essential oil. The TEO exhibited significant differences (p≤ 0.01) between the effects of all concentrations against these two human cell lines. The results showed the highest toxicity of TEO on HeLa cell line (78.67%) and MCF-7 cell line (83.60%) at 200 ppm concentration. Also the values of half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of TEO against HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines were 34.63 and 27.66 ppm, respectively. Cells treated with the IC50 of TEO showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.01) in p53 fold expression between HeLa cell line (4.33±0.41 folds) and MCF-7 cell line (5.10±0.32 folds). In general, a dose-dependent decrease the survival of the two cell lines was observed. In addition, MCF-7 cell line revealed higher sensitivity against TEO than HeLa cell line.

Chemical composition and biological activity of Peucedanum dhana A. Ham essential oil

The essential oil was extracted from Peucedanum dhana A. Ham, which grows in Thailand, using a Clevenger apparatus, resulting in an oil yield of 0.76% w/w. Forty-two compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major compounds were trans-piperitol (51.23%), β-pinene (11.72%), o-cymene (11.12%), γ-terpinene (9.21%), and limonene (4.91%). The antimicrobial activity of the P. dhana essential oil was investigated by measuring the inhibition zone diameter, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC). The inhibition zone diameters of P. dhana essential oil (1000 µg/mL) against tested pathogens ranged from 10.70 to 40.80 mm. Significant antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens was obtained, with MIC and MMC values of 62.50–250 µg/mL and 250–1000 µg/mL, respectively. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter aerogenes exposed to P. dhana essential oil at the MIC were analysed by flow cytometry using propidium iodide (PI) and SYTO9 to assess membrane integrity compared to trans-piperitol and β-pinene. After 24 h, treatments with trans-piperitol resulted in the most significant cell membrane alteration and depolarization followed by P. dhana essential oil and β-pinene, respectively. It was demonstrated that the P. dhana essential oil presented antibacterial action against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and E. aerogenes. The antioxidant activity of P. dhana essential oil was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium (ABTS) scavenging activity assays. The IC50 values obtained from the DPPH and ABTS methods were 9.13 and 9.36 mg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxic effect of P. dhana oil was tested against human colonic adenocarcinoma (SW480), human lung adenocarcinoma (A549), cervical cancer (Hela), and murine fibroblast (3T3L1) cells using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The essential oil had cytotoxicity against all cancer cells, with significant cytotoxicity towards SW480 cells. As a control experiment, two pure compounds—trans-piperitol and β-pinene, were also tested for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activity. Both compounds showed varied activity in all assays. The results indicate that P. dhana essential oil could be used as a source of functional ingredients in food and pharmaceutical applications.

An Investigation of the Antiproliferative Effect of Rhododendron luteum Extract on Cervical Cancer (HeLa) Cells via Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of Rhododendron luteum extract (RLE) in the induction of Nrf2‑related oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. The antiproliferative effect of RLE on HeLa and fibroblast cells was determined using the MTT assay. The effects of RLE on the cell cycle, apoptosis, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HeLa cells were evaluated using fluorescent probes. The mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 [and its targets glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)], and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP, an ER stress marker were determined using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results demonstrated that RLE exhibited a selective cytotoxic effect (2.9-fold) on HeLa cells compared to fibroblast cells. RLE arrested the cell cycle at the S phase, and induced apoptosis, ER stress, and ROS formation. In addition, RLE significantly suppressed the expression levels of Nrf2, GCLC and G6PD (0.65, 0.69, and 0.54-fold, respectively) and increased the expression of CHOP (4.48-fold) in HeLa cells at 72 h of treatment (p < 0.05). These results show that the antiproliferative effect of RLE occurs through the Nrf2 and ER stress pathways, and the results should now be supported by further in vivo studies.

In vitro DNA Binding, Anticancer and Molecular Docking Studies of New Sydnone Compounds

Sydnones have been a novel class of mesoionic compound due to versatility of their applications in various fields. Sydnone derivative have seen as an interesting structure grouped in the heterocyclic community, which is having regions of both positive and negative charges linked with a poly-heteroatomic system. This structural characteristic allows them to cross biological membranes and interact with biomolecules. Four sydnones namely 3-(4-decyloxybiphenyl-4′-yl) sydnone (MC-176), 3-(4-octyloxy-2,3-difluorobiphenyl-4′-yl) sydnone (MC-192), 3-(4-biphenyl-4′-yl) sydnone (MC-450) and 3-(4-butylbiphenyl-4′-yl) sydnone (MC-456) were evaluated for biophysical interactions between DNA and sydnones and antiproliferative activity. The UV-visible spectroscopic study indicates interaction between sydnone and dsDNA with a slight red and hypochromic shift in absorption spectra, which shows the intercalation mode of binding. The binding constant of DNA-Sydnone complexes were in the range from 1.4 × 104 M–1 to 7.1 × 104 M–1 for different sydnone compounds (MC-176, MC-192, MC-450, MC-456). FTIR spectra indicated that sydnone interaction with DNA occurs through base pairs and the phosphate backbone of the DNA. The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of a sydnone derivatives on human cervical cancer (HeLa) and breast tumor (BT) 474 cancer cell lines were determined. The compounds possess antiproliferative activity in a concentration-dependent mode. The changes of morphological characteristic of cancer cells were determined by fluorescent staining techniques indicate the apoptotic cell death. The molecular docking studies of sydnone compounds with caspase 3 and EGF-TK showed better interactions (according to docking score) along with commercially available breast cancer drug molecule anastrozole. The docking score of sydnone molecules (MC-456, MC-450, MC-192 and MC-176) with EGF-TK enzyme were -6.44, -6.42, -5.46 and -4.53, respectively. The binding energy of anastrozole with EGF-TK was -6.41. As well Caspase 3 inhibition with sydnone compounds MC-456, MC-450, MC-192 and MC-176 were -6.09, -6.48, -5 and -3.49, respectively. The binding energy of anastrozole with caspase 3 was -6.24. All sydnone compounds were studied for ADME toxicity studies along with Lipinski rule of five to assess their drug likeness properties by in silico approach. MC-450 found to have good ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicology) properties among all the sydnone compounds. Thus, the present work indicates that these sydnone compounds would be a well prospective in developing anticancer medicines.

Cytotoxicity of Lapachol and Derivatized Analogues from Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. on Cancer Cell Lines

Lapachol, a naphthoquinone, was obtained from the methanol extract of the root of Kigelia africana (sausage tree) (Lam.) Benth. and structurally modified to improve anticancer specificity. The structures of the lapachol and derivatives were elucidated following the consideration of spectra data which included mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of the lapachol and its derivatives were evaluated on healthy human prostate (PC-3), human cervical cancer (Hela) and mouse fibroblast (3T3) cell lines using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Lapachol exhibited higher cytotoxicity on the Hela cells (IC50 = 6.15 μg mL−1) compared to the derivative molecules. The lapachol was cytotoxic to both cancer and normal cell, while the derivatized conjugates lost the cytotoxic potency to cancer cell. This work provides evidence that supports lapachol as one of the major cytotoxic compounds present in the root of K. africana of Nigerian origin and it is recommended that the extract of the plant should be consumed with caution owing to general cellular toxicity of the major phytoconstituent.

Graphene oxide inhibits cell migration and invasion by destroying actin cytoskeleton in cervical cancer cells.

Objective: To investigate the antitumor effects of Graphene oxide (GO) on tumor invasion and metastasis in human cervical cancer Hela cells.Results: GO significantly inhibited cell viability and the number of clones, promoted cell apoptosis, as well as suppressed cell migration and invasion, and destroyed the structure of actin cytoskeleton of Hela cells in a dose-dependent manner in. Moreover, the expression of metastasis-related proteins, including MMP2 and Cdc42, were significantly suppressed by the treatment of GO. And the expression of MMP3 was remarkably increased by Smad inhibitor and the protein levels of MMP3 and ICAM were elevated by the JNK inhibitor in GO-treated Hela cells.Conclusion: GO exhibited inhibitory effects on cell migration and invasion possibly by destroying actin cytoskeleton in Hela cells, which is a potential component of the Smad and JNK signalling pathways.Methods: GO was prepared and chracterized by UV visible light absorption spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Hela cells were treated with Go at different dose levels. Then, in vitro cytotoxicity of GO was evaluated by the MTT assay, colony-forming assay and cell apoptosis assay. The inhibitory effects of GO on tumor cell migration and invasion as well as actin cytoskeleton were explored using Hela cells.

Anticancer Effect of the Iridoid Glycoside Fraction from Dipsacus fullonum L. Leaves

Species of Dipsacus have been widely used in folk medicine for their neuroprotective, antiosteoporotic, antioxidative, anticomplementary, and antibacterial activities. However, there has been but a limited amount of research on the anticancer effect of one of the most popular representatives of this genus, D. fullonum. Also, the cytotoxic activity has not yet been investigated of the constituents of D. fullonum leaves. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of the bis-iridoid glycosides isolated from D. fullonum leaves against murine fibroblast NIH/3T3, mouse melanoma B16F10, HeLa human cervical cancer, human breast cancer MCF7 and MDB-MB-231 cells. The bis-iridoids, obtained by chromatographic fractionation of the extract of D. fullonum leaves, were characterized by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS)/MS analysis. The cytotoxicity of the iridoid fraction was evaluated by WST-1 assay, and the number of dead cells was determined by the propidium iodide test. HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed the isolated bis-iridoid fraction to consist mainly of sylvestroside III and/or sylvestroside IV. This fraction was applied to cell cultures and kept for 48 and 72 hours. The results demonstrated that the iridoid glycosides had a differential ability to induce cell death in normal and cancer cells. The study confirmed that the bis-iridoids extracted from D. fullonum leaves had a selective cytotoxic effect on human breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDB-MD-231, while their cytotoxic effect on noncancer cells was low.

Antitumor activity associated with hyperthermia and 4-nitrochalcone loaded in superparamagnetic poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles

The combination of hyperthermia and chemotherapy has a potential synergic effect in antitumor activity. The development of new biocompatible and biodegradable polymers to simultaneously encapsulate magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and antitumoral drugs offer new cancer treatment opportunities. Here, biodegradable and biocompatible poly(thioether-ester) (PTEe) was used to encapsulate MNPs and 4-nitrochalcone (4NC) using miniemulsification and solvent evaporation. The resulting hybrid particles (MNPs-4NC-PTEe) had nanometer-scale diameters, spherical morphology, negative surface charge, high encapsulation efficiency, and superparamagnetic properties. Results showed that 4NC release occurred through diffusion. Free 4NC and MNPs + 4NC-PTEe did not have any cytotoxic effect on erythrocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH3T3) cells. 4NC antitumor activity was verified on human cervical cancer (HeLa) and melanoma (B16F10) cells. Cellular uptake of MNPs + 4NC-PTEe nanoparticles was higher in HeLa cells compared to B16F10 and NIH3T3 cells. The hyperthermia application (115 kHz–500 Oe) potentiated the 4NC effects on HeLa and B16F10 cells when MNPs + 4NC-PTEe nanoparticles were used, indicating more effective antitumor activity. We concluded that the use of MNPs + 4NC-PTEe nanoparticles associated with hyperthermia is a promising form of treatment for some types of cancers.

Diterpenoids from the leaves of Casearia kurzii showing cytotoxic activities.

A phytochemical investigation to obtain bioactive substances as lead compounds or agents for cancer led to the obtainment of six new and two known clerodane diterpenoids from the leaves of Casearia kurzii. Their structures were elucidated using NMR techniques and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. The subsequent biological cytotoxicity evaluation of these isolates toward human lung cancer A549, human cervical cancer HeLa, human chronic myeloid leukemia K562, and human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 was carried out. The most active compound 4 with an IC50 value of 9.7μM against HepG2 cells was selected to examine the cytotoxic mechanism, which induced the apoptosis and arrested the HepG2 cell cycle at S stage. The in vivo zebrafish experiments revealed that compound 4 had the property of inhibiting tumor proliferation and migration.

Potential Role of DEC1 in Cervical Cancer Cells Involving Overexpression and Apoptosis.

Basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH) transcription factors differentiated embryonic chondrocyte gene 1 (DEC1) and gene 2 (DEC2) regulate circadian rhythms, apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasions and metastases in various kinds of cancer. The stem cell markers SOX2 and c-MYC are involved in the regulation of apoptosis and poor prognosis. In cervical cancer, however, their roles are not well elucidated yet. To determine the function of these genes in human cervical cancer, we examined the expression of DEC1, DEC2, SOX2 and c-MYC in human cervical cancer tissues. In immunohistochemistry, they were strongly expressed in cancer cells compared with in non-cancerous cells. Notably, the strong rate of DEC1 and SOX2 expressions were over 80% among 20 cases. We further examined the roles of DEC1 and DEC2 in apoptosis. Human cervical cancer HeLa and SiHa cells were treated with cisplatin—HeLa cells were sensitive to apoptosis, but SiHa cells were resistant. DEC1 expression decreased in the cisplatin-treated HeLa cells, but had little effect on SiHa cells. Combination treatment of DEC1 overexpression and cisplatin inhibited apoptosis and affected SOX2 and c-MYC expressions in HeLa cells. Meanwhile, DEC2 overexpression had little effect on apoptosis and on SOX2 and c-MYC expressions. We conclude that DEC1 has anti-apoptotic effects and regulates SOX2 and c-MYC expressions on apoptosis.