甲磺酸阿帕替尼通过p53抑制结肠癌细胞HCT116增殖的作用及机制

摘要：目的 探讨阿帕替尼对人结肠癌细胞HCT116及敲除野生型p53的HCT116细胞抑制作用的差异并探讨 其机制。方法 以0、15、30、60 μmol/L阿帕替尼处理HCT116 p53+/+、HCT116 p53-/-细胞24、48 h,以CCK-8法检测阿 帕替尼对两株细胞增殖的抑制作用;流式细胞术（Annexin V/PI法）检测0、15、30 μmol/L阿帕替尼处理细胞24 h后凋 亡率变化;实时荧光定量PCR法和Western blot法检测0、15、30 μmol/L阿帕替尼处理细胞24 h后,p53、NF-κB p65、 Caspase-3 mRNA和蛋白表达变化。结果 CCK-8结果显示,阿帕替尼能抑制HCT116 p53+/+、HCT116 p53-/-细胞的增 殖,抑制作用具有剂量依赖性（P＜0.01）。流式细胞术结果显示,阿帕替尼干预后,HCT116 p53+/+、HCT116 p53-/-细胞 凋亡率升高（P＜0.01）。与HCT116 p53+/+细胞相比,阿帕替尼处理后HCT116 p53-/-细胞的凋亡率较低（P＜0.05）。阿 帕替尼处理后,HCT116 p53+/+、HCT116 p53-/-细胞中 p53、NF-κB p65、capsase-3 mRNA 和 Caspase-3 蛋白表达升高 （P＜0.05）。阿帕替尼干预后,HCT116 p53+/+细胞中 p53、NF-κB p65 蛋白表达下调而 HCT116 p53-/-细胞中 NF-κB p65蛋白表达上调（P＜0.01）。结论 阿帕替尼可能通过p53/NF-κB通路抑制HCT116 p53+/+、HCT116 p53-/-细胞增殖 并促进细胞凋亡,结肠癌细胞可能通过野生型p53对阿帕替尼产生耐药。     

上调NDRG1表达降低奥沙利铂耐药结肠癌细胞的存活率

目的观察上调NDRG1表达对结肠癌细胞及奥沙利铂耐药结肠癌细胞的毒性作用并探讨其机制。方法以重组真核表达质粒pEGFP-NDRG1-N3转染HCT 116及奥沙利铂耐药的OHP-HCT 116结肠癌细胞,以实时定量(qRT)-PCR法和Western blot法检测转染效率。MTT法检测奥沙利铂对不同结肠癌细胞的毒性及验证OHP-HCT 116细胞的耐药性。给予奥沙利铂干预转染pEGFP-NDRG1-N3的HCT 116细胞及OHP-HCT 116细胞,MTT法检测细胞存活率,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率,Western blot法检测凋亡蛋白Bcl-2及p53蛋白水平变化。结果不同浓度奥沙利铂干预下的3株结肠癌细胞中HCT 116细胞对奥沙利铂最敏感,OHP-HCT 116细胞对奥沙利铂耐药得到验证。以不同浓度梯度奥沙利铂干扰转染pEGFP-NDRG1-N3的HCT 116细胞及OHP-HCT 116细胞,与MOCK及siNC组比较,在HCT 116细胞及OHP-HCT 116细胞,转染pEGFP-NDRG1-N3细胞的存活率下降(P<0.05),凋亡率升高(P<0.05),Bcl-2表达降低(P<0.05),p53表达升高(P<0.05)。结论上调NDRG1表达通过调控p53表达改善结肠癌细胞奥沙利铂耐药,提高化疗敏感性。     

Activated kRas protects colon cancer cells from cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis: the role of p53 and p21

Cucurbitacins have been shown to inhibit proliferation in a variety of cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to determine their biological activity in colon cancer cell lines that do not harbor activated STAT3, the key target of cucurbitacin. In order to establish the role of activated kRas in the responsiveness of cells to cucurbitacins, we performed experiments in isogenic colon cancer cell lines, HCT116 and Hke-3, which differ only by the presence of an activated kRas allele. We compared the activity of 23, 24-dihydrocucurbitacin B (DHCB) and cucurbitacin R (CCR), two cucurbitacins that we recently isolated, with cucurbitacin I (CCI), a cucurbitacin with established antitumorigenic activity. We showed that cucurbitacins induced dramatic changes in the cytoskeleton (collapse of actin and bundling of tubulin microfilaments), inhibited proliferation and finally induced apoptosis of both HCT116 and Hke-3 cells. However, the presence of oncogenic kRas significantly decreased the sensitivity of cells to the three cucurbitacins tested, CCR, DHCB and CCI. We confirmed that mutational activation of kRas protects cells from cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis using nontransformed intestinal epithelial cells with inducible expression of kRasV12. Cucurbitacins induced the expression of p53 and p21 predominantly in HCT116 cells that harbor mutant Ras. Using HCT116 cells with targeted deletion of p53 or p21 we confirmed that p53 and p21 protect cells from apoptosis induced by cucurbitacins. These results demonstrated that sensitivity of human colon cancer cell lines to cucurbitacins depends on the kRas and p53/p21 status, and established that cucurbitacins can exert antitumorigenic activity in the absence of activated STAT3.     

Quantitative effects on c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase signaling determine synergistic interaction of cisplatin and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin in colon cancer cell lines

We investigated the effects of cisplatin and the hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) in combination in a panel of human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines that differ in their p53 and mismatch repair status. Analysis of cytotoxicity after combined treatment revealed additive effects of cisplatin and 17-AAG in the HCT 116, DLD1, and SW480 cell lines and antagonism in HT-29 cells. Clonogenic assays demonstrated antagonism in HT-29, an additive effect in SW480, and synergism in HCT 116 and DLD1 cell lines. Analysis of signaling pathways revealed that cisplatin-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was fully blocked by 17-AAG in HT-29 and SW480 cells, whereas in HCT 116 and DLD1 cells it was inhibited only partially. The activation of caspases was also more pronounced in DLD1 and HCT 116 cell lines. These data suggested that a minimal level of apoptotic signaling through JNK was required for synergism with this combination. To test this hypothesis, we used the specific JNK inhibitor SP600125; when JNK was inhibited pharmacologically in HCT 116 and DLD1 cells, they demonstrated increased survival in clonogenic assays. Alternatively, sustained activation of JNK pathway led to an increase of the cytotoxicity of the cisplatin/17-AAG combination in HT-29 cells. Taken together, these data suggest that the synergistic interaction of this combination in colon cancer cell lines depends on the effect exerted by 17-AAG on cisplatin-induced signaling through JNK and associated pathways leading to cell death. An implication of that finding is that quantitative effects of signaling inhibitors may be critical for their ability to reverse cisplatin resistance.     

New benzimidazole acridine derivative induces human colon cancer cell apoptosis in vitro via the ROS-JNK signaling pathway

Aim:

To investigate the mechanisms underlying anticancer action of the benzimidazole acridine derivative N-{(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl}-2-butylacridin-9-amine(8m) against human colon cancer cells in vitro.

Methods:

Human colon cancer cell lines SW480 and HCT116 were incubated in the presence of 8m, and then the cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured. The expression of apoptotic/signaling genes and proteins was detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting. ROS generation and mitochondrial membrane depolarization were visualized with fluorescence microscopy.

Results:

8m dose-dependently suppressed the proliferation of SW480 and HCT116 cells with IC50 values of 6.77 and 3.33 μmol/L, respectively. 8m induced apoptosis of HCT116 cells, accompanied by down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of death receptor-5 (DR5), truncation of Bid, cleavage of PARP, and activation of caspases (including caspase-8 and caspase-9 as well as the downstream caspases-3 and caspase-7). Moreover, 8m selectively activated JNK and p38 without affecting ERK in HCT116 cells. Knockout of JNK1, but not p38, attenuated 8m-induced apoptosis. In addition, 8m induced ROS production and mitochondrial membrane depolarization in HCT116 cells. Pretreatment with the antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine or glutathione attenuated 8m-induced apoptosis and JNK activation in HCT116 cells.

Conclusion:

The new benzimidazole acridine derivative, 8m exerts anticancer activity against human colon cancer cells in vitro by inducing both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways via the ROS-JNK1 pathway.     

The labdane diterpene sclareol (labd-14-ene-8, 13-diol) induces apoptosis in human tumor cell lines and suppression of tumor growth in vivo via a p53-independent mechanism of action

The labdane diterpene sclareol has demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines and human colon cancer xenografts. Therefore, there is need to elucidate the mode of action of this compound as very little information is known for the anticancer activity of sclareol and other labdane diterpenes, in general. COMPARE analysis of GI(50) values for a number of human cancer cell lines was initially implicated in an effort to assign a putative mechanism of action to the compound. Sclareol-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry and Western blot analyses. Finally, the anticancer ability of sclareol in vivo was assessed by using human colon cancer xenograft/mouse models. Sclareol arrested in vitro the growth of p53-deficient (HCT116(p53-/-)) human colon cancer cells and subsequently induced apoptosis by activating both caspases-8 and -9. Intraperitoneal administration of liposome-encapsulated sclareol at the maximum tolerated dose induced a marked growth suppression of HCT116(p53-/-) tumors established as xenografts in immunodeficient NOD/SCID mice. In conclusion, we demonstrate herein that sclareol kills human tumor cells by inducing arrest at the G(1)-phase of the cell cycle followed by apoptosis that involves activation of caspases-8, -9 and -3 via a p53-independent mechanism. These findings suggest that liposome-encapsulated sclareol possesses chemotherapeutic potential for the treatment of colorectal and other types of human cancer regardless of the p53-status.     

Inhibition of G1/S transition potentiates oxaliplatin-induced cell death in colon cancer cell lines

In a series of colorectal cancer cell lines, both necrosis and apoptosis were induced upon exposure to oxaliplatin, and enhanced by co-administration of the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG. We analyzed the effects of these interventions on the cell cycle, and found that oxaliplatin treatment caused G1 and G2 arrest in HCT116 cells, and S-phase accumulation in two p53-deficient cell lines (HT29 and DLD1). Addition of 17-AAG enhanced cell cycle effects of oxaliplatin in HCT116, and induced G1 arrest and decrease in S-phase population in the other cell lines. Analysis of cell cycle proteins revealed that the major difference between the cell lines was that in HCT116, 17-AAG resulted in profound inhibition of expression and phosphorylation of late G1 proteins cyclin E and cdk2, with no effect on p21/WAF1 induction. Consistent with these, an HCT116 p53(-/-) line, lacking p21, showed resistance to oxaliplatin, failure to enter apoptosis, and an accumulation of cells in S-phase. Introduction of p21 in these cells caused reversal of that phenotype, including restoration of the G1 block and re-sensitization to oxaliplatin. Inhibition of G1/S progression using cdk2 inhibitor also enhanced oxaliplatin cytotoxicity. We conclude that in colon cancer cells with impaired p53 function, interventions directed to cycle arrest in G1 may potentiate oxaliplatin activity.     

p53 dependent and independent sensitivity to oxaliplatin of colon cancer cells

Oxaliplatin is an efficient chemotherapeutic agent used for the treatment of metastatic human colon cancer, but cancer cells are frequently resistant. The aim of this study was to analyse the underlying mechanisms in a panel of 10 human colorectal cancer cell lines submitted to a short (2h) oxaliplatin treatment period, accordingly to the usual therapeutic procedure in humans. Sensitivity to oxaliplatin was a characteristic of p53 wild-type colon cancer cells. In contrast, all p53-mutated cell lines had a high IC50 to oxaliplatin, with the exception of the V9P cell line. Exposure to oxaliplatin resulted in G0/G1 arrest in p53 wild-type cell lines, and in S phase in p53-mutated cell lines. In our treatment conditions, no DNA accumulation in sub G0/G1 phase, no caspase-3 activation nor PARP cleavage were detected after oxaliplatin treatment, except for the V9P cell line. The major role of the p53-p21 pathway in oxaliplatin sensitivity was confirmed in the p53 wild-type HCT116 cell line, using siRNA duplex, and knockdown of the TAp73 protein also enhanced resistance to oxaliplatin in this cell line. Surprisingly, siRNA duplex invalidation revealed a residual effect of the mutant p53 protein in p53-mutated cell lines. Persistent sensitivity to oxaliplatin of the p53-mutated V9P cell line was associated with oxalipatin-induced apoptosis but TAp73 was not the responsible alternative pathway.     

Ras mutation, irrespective of cell type and p53 status, determines a cell's destiny to undergo apoptosis by okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A.

Okadaic acid (OA), a toxin from the black sponge Halicondria okadai, is a specific inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A). OA is a tumor promoter but also induces apoptosis in some tumor cell lines. In this study, we determined whether ras mutation and/or p53 status are characteristics associated with the cell's sensitivity to the induction of apoptosis by OA. Several cell lines that differed in ras and p53 mutations were treated with OA (10-100 nM). At 24 to 48 h after treatment, the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis was quantitated. The cell lines with mutations in either H-ras (human bladder carcinoma cell line T24 and mouse keratinocyte cell line 308), or K-ras (human colon carcinoma cell lines DLD-1 and HCT116; human prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC-3; human lung cancer cell lines Calu-6 and SKLU-1; and human pancreatic cancer cell line MIAPaCa2) were more sensitive to OA-induced apoptosis (3- to 10-fold) than the cell lines that lacked the ras mutation (mouse epidermal cell lines C50 and JB6; murine fibroblast cell line NIH3T3; human colon cancer cell line HT29; human kidney epithelial cell line Hs715.K; and human pancreatic cancer cell line Bx-PC3). Similarly, using isogenic cell lines we found that overexpression of mutated H-ras in NIH3T3 and in SV40 immortalized human uroepithelial cells (SVHUC) enhanced their sensitivity to undergo apoptosis in response to OA treatment. The T24, DLD-1, SKLU-1, Calu-6, and MIAPaCa2 cell lines express mutated p53. The SVHUC as well as their ras-transfected counterparts have inactive p53 due to complex formation between large "T" antigen and p53. Taken together, these results imply that OA-induced apoptosis may involve a p53-independent pathway. The transfectants (NIH3T3-ras and SVHUC-ras), which express mutated H-ras, have up-regulated PP2A activity. OA treatment inhibited in vivo the levels of PP1 and PP2A activity, and induced apoptosis in SVHUC-ras and other cell lines. We conclude that OA-induced cell death pathway in ras-activated cell lines may involve a cross talk between PP1 and PP2A and ras signaling pathways. In light of the present results, the current theory that OA promotes mouse skin tumor formation by selective expansion of initiated cells that harbor ras mutations needs reevaluation.     

LncRNA-MALAT1通过miR-142-3p/TEAD1分子轴调控结直肠癌细胞增殖与凋亡#br#

目的　探讨长链非编码RNA-肺腺癌转移相关转录子1（LncRNA-MALAT1）对结直肠癌细胞增殖与凋亡的影响及相关作用机制。方法　通过Real-time PCR与Western blot实验检测结直肠癌细胞株与人正常结肠上皮细胞中LncRNA-MALAT1、miR-142-3p基因以及TEA结构域转录因子1（TEAD1）蛋白的表达;使用si-MALAT1转染HCT116细胞,在此基础上共转染miR-142-3p inhibitor,利用Real-time PCR与Western blot检测细胞中LncRNA-MALAT1与miR-142-3p基因以及TEAD1、Bax、Bcl-2与Cyclin D1蛋白的表达,通过CCK-8实验检测细胞的增殖水平,通过流式细胞术检测细胞的凋亡水平,通过双荧光素酶实验检测LncRNA-MALAT1与miR-142-3p以及miR-142-3p与TEAD1的结合。结果　与人正常结肠上皮细胞相比,结直肠癌细胞株中LncRNA-MALAT1基因与TEAD1蛋白呈高表达,miR-142-3p基因呈低表达（P＜0.05）;沉默LncRNA-MALAT1能够促进miR-142-3p基因与Bax蛋白表达,抑制LncRNA-MALAT1基因以及Bcl-2、Cyclin D1与TEAD1蛋白表达,抑制细胞增殖,并促进细胞凋亡;在此基础上沉默miR-142-3p能够对上述调控作用实现部分逆转;双荧光素酶实验结果显示,LncRNA-MALAT1与miR-142-3p以及miR-142-3p与TEAD1能够结合。结论　LncRNA-MALAT1能够结合miR-142-3p,促进miR-142-3p靶基因TEAD1表达,进而促进结直肠癌细胞增殖,抑制其细胞凋亡,促进结直肠癌的病理进程。     

Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase enhances apoptosis induced by arsenic trioxide in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has recently been used to treat acute promyelocytic leukaemia and has activity in vitro against several solid tumour cell lines where the induction of differentiation and apoptosis are the prime effects. The mechanism of As2O3-induced cell death has yet to be clarified, especially in solid cancers. In the present study, the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was examined as a cellular model for As2O3 treatment. The involvement of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was investigated in As2O3-induced cell death. 3. It was found that As2O3 activates the prosurvival mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/ERK pathway in MCF-7 cells, which, conversely, may compromise the efficacy of As2O3. Hence, a combination treatment of As2O3 and MEK inhibitors was investigated to determine whether this treatment could lead to enhanced growth inhibition and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. 4. Inhibition of MEK/ERK with the pharmacological inhibitors U0126 (10 micromol/L) or PD98059 (20 micromol/L) together with As2O3 (2 and 5 micromol/L) resulted in a significant enhancement of growth inhibition in breast cancer MCF-7 cells as determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2 thiazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay and [Methyl-3H]-thymidine incorporation. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that combined treatment with As2O3 and the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 could augment breast cancer MCF-7 cell apoptosis approximately twofold compared with the effects of the two drugs alone, as determined by Hoechst 33258 or annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and flow cytometry. 5. In addition, As2O3 activated p38 in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on JNK1/2. Treatment with a p38 inhibitor did not prevent As2O3-induced apoptosis. 6. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that enhanced apoptosis is detected in breast cancer MCF-7 cells in the presence of As2O3 and an MEK inhibitor, which may be a new promising adjuvant to current breast cancer treatments.     

紫草素对人结肠癌细胞HCT116自噬和凋亡的影响

目的:研究紫草素对人结肠癌细胞HCT116自噬和凋亡的影响。方法:以0(空白对照)、10、20、40μg/mL紫草素作用于HCT116细胞48 h后,采用MTT法检测细胞增殖抑制率;采用流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率;分别采用实时荧光定量-聚合酶链式反应法和Western blotting法检测细胞中微管相关蛋白轻链3(LC3)和自噬相关蛋白Beclin-1、p62的mRNA及其蛋白表达水平。结果:与空白对照比较,10、20、40μg/mL紫草素作用48 h后HCT116细胞的增殖抑制率和凋亡率均显著升高(P<0.05或P<0.01)。10、20、40μg/mL紫草素作用于HCT116细胞48 h后均可不同程度地升高细胞中LC3、Beclin-1、p62 mRNA及其蛋白的表达水平,除10μg/mL紫草素作用后细胞中LC3 m RNA表达水平升高不显著外,其余指标水平与空白对照比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05或P<0.01)。结论:紫草素可诱导人结肠癌细胞HCT116发生凋亡,并激活其自噬途径。     

5-Methoxyflavanone induces cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, apoptosis and autophagy in HCT116 human colon cancer cells

Natural flavonoids have diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the action of 5-methoxyflavanone (5-MF) which has a strong bioavailability and metabolic stability. Our results show that 5-MF inhibited the growth and clonogenicity of HCT116 human colon cancer cells, and that it activated DNA damage responses, as revealed by the accumulation of p53 and the phosphorylation of DNA damage-sensitive proteins, including ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) at Ser1981, checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) at Thr68, and histone H2AX at Ser139. 5-MF-induced DNA damage was confirmed in a comet tail assay. We also found that 5-MF increased the cleavage of caspase-2 and -7, leading to the induction of apoptosis. Pretreatment with the ATM inhibitor KU55933 enhanced 5-MF-induced γ-H2AX formation and caspase-7 cleavage. HCT116 cells lacking p53 (p53^−/−) or p21 (p21^−/−) exhibited increased sensitivity to 5-MF compared to wild-type cells. 5-MF further induced autophagy via an ERK signaling pathway. Blockage of autophagy with the MEK inhibitor U0126 potentiated 5-MF-induced γ-H2AX formation and caspase-2 activation. These results suggest that a caspase-2 cascade mediates 5-MF-induced anti-tumor activity, while an ATM/Chk2/p53/p21 checkpoint pathway and ERK-mediated autophagy act as a survival program to block caspase-2-mediated apoptosis induced by 5-MF.     

Anti-proliferation activity of total flavonoids isolated from Diospyros kaki L. f. leaves against human cancer celllines

OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vitro anti-proliferation activity of PLF against several human cancer cell lines and revealed its potentials as anticancer agent. METHODS The anti-proliferation activity of PLF against six human cancer cell lines and three normal human cell lines was evaluated by Alarma Blue method.The apoptosis induction of PLF in HCT116 cells was detected using high-content analysis with FITC-Annexin Ⅴ/propidium iodide(PI) double staining. The production of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) induced by PLF was accessed using DHE dye. The ability of PLF to scavenge free radical was investigated by DPPH assay.RESULTS In a concentration of up to 30 mg·L~(-1), PLF showed moderate to high anti-proliferation activity against six different types of human cancer cells, but little cytotoxicity to normal human cells. PLF induced apoptosis and intracellular ROS in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. In addition, PLF showed strong DPPH free radical scavenging ability in the antioxidant assay. CONCLUSION PLF demonstrated significant inhibition against the proliferation of liver, breast, and colon cancer cells in vitro.The anti-proliferation activity of PLF against cancer cells was related to the promotion of oxidative stress and the induction of apoptosis. PLF can be a potential candidate as anticancer drug due to the activities shown in vitro and in vivo and worth further research.     

Physalin B not only inhibits the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway but also induces incomplete autophagic response in human colon cancer cells in vitro

Aim:

To investigate the effects of physalin B insolated from Physalis divericata on human colon cancer cells in vitro and its anticancer mechanisms.

Methods:

Human HCT116 colon cancer cell line was tested. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected, and relevant proteins were measured using Western blot analyses. Autophagosomes were observed in stable GFP-LC3 HCT116 cells. Localization of autophagosomes and lysosomes was evaluated in GFP-LC3/RFP-LAMP1-co-transfected cells. Microtubules and F-actin microfilaments were observed with confocal microscope. Mitochondrial ROS (mito-ROS) was detected with flow cytometry in the cells stained with MitoSox dye.

Results:

Physalin B inhibited the viability of HCT116 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 1.35 μmol/L. Treatment of the cells with physalin B (2.5–10 μmol/L) induced apoptosis and the cleavage of PARP and caspase-3. Meanwhile, physalin B treatment induced autophagosome formation, and accumulation of LC3-II and p62, but decreased Beclin 1 protein level. Marked changes of microtubules and F-actin microfilaments were observed in physalin B-treated cells, which led to the blockage of co-localization of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Physalin B treatment dose-dependently increased the phosphorylation of p38, ERK and JNK in the cells, whereas the p38 inhibitor SB202190, ERK inhibitor U0126 or JNK inhibitor SP600125 could partially reduce physalin B-induced PARP cleavage and p62 accumulation. Moreover, physalin B treatment dose-dependently increased mito-ROS production in the cells, whereas the ROS scavenger NAC could reverse physalin B-induced effects, including incomplete autophagic response, accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, changes of microtubules and F-actin, activation of p38, ERK and JNK, as well as cell death and apoptosis.

Conclusion:

Physalin B induces mito-ROS, which not only inhibits the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway but also induces incomplete autophagic response in HCT116 cells in vitro.     

Induction of apoptosis by R-flurbiprofen in human colon carcinoma cells: involvement of p53

R-flurbiprofen, a non cyclooxygenase inhibiting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has been found to inhibit tumor growth in various animal models. In vitro experiments have shown that this effect is based on the induction of a cell cycle block and apoptosis. Cell cycle inhibition has been explained by activation of the c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and downregulation of cyclin D1 expression. However, the molecular mechanism leading to apoptosis is unknown. Here, we show that treatment of the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116 with different concentrations of R-flurbiprofen leads to an accumulation of p53 protein which is accompanied by an increase in phosphorylated p53 at serine 15. Mutation of serine 15 to alanine by site directed mutagenesis and overexpression of the mutated p53 gene in HCT116 cells, revealed that these cells are significantly less sensitive to apoptosis induced by R-flurbiprofen than pcDNA control cells, as measured by PARP-cleavage and flow cytometry. By contrast, no difference was detected between HCT116p53ser15ala cells and HCT116 pcDNA cells with respect to induction of a cell cycle block after R-flurbiprofen treatment. Moreover, in nude mice HCT116p53ser15ala overexpressing xenografts were significantly less sensitive to R-flurbiprofen than HCT116 pcDNA control xenografts. In conclusion, we were able to show that induction of apoptosis in HCT116 cells after R-flurbiprofen treatment is at least partly dependent on the tumor suppressor gene p53 and that mutation of p53 at serine 15 impairs the apoptotic potency of R-flurbiprofen.