Liver Cancer
The Antitumor Potential of Extract of the Oak Bracket Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus baumii in SMMC-7721 Tumor Cells
Yue Yang, Pingya He, and Ning Li
Abstract
Inonotus baumii, a traditional medicinal mushroom, has been historically used in China and other countries of East Asia for the treatment of various diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the antitumor activity of the extract of I. baumii (EIB) against hepatocellular carcinoma and the possible mechanism involved. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferative activity of SMMC-7721 cells treated with EIB. Hoechst 33258 and JC-1 staining were used to determine nuclear morphological changes and mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that EIB blocked the cell cycle at the S phase and induced significant apoptosis. EIB increased the protein expression of Bax, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, and decreased Bcl-2 in SMMC-7721. Moreover, EIB induced autophagy, indicated by the increase of autophagy-related protein expression of LC3-II and decrease of p62, and the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway was involved in the autophagic cell death. In vivo, EIB was found to strongly inhibit the growth of tumors in BALB/c nude mice. Our results indicated that I. baumii might be a potential natural therapeutic agent for liver cancer, as it could induce apoptosis and autophagy in HCC cells.
Source : Journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Long-Term Zinc Supplementation Improves Liver Function and Decreases the Risk of Developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Atsushi Hosui *, Eiji Kimura, Sumiko Abe, Takashi Tanimoto, Kousaku Onishi, Yukihiro Kusumoto, Yuka Sueyoshi, Kengo Matsumoto, Motohiro Hirao, Takuya Yamada and Naoki Hiramatsu
Abstract
Zinc plays a pivotal role in various zinc enzymes, which are crucial in the maintenance of liver function. Patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) usually have lower concentrations of zinc, which decrease further as liver fibrosis progresses. Whether long-term zinc supplementation improves liver function and reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains unknown. Two hundred and sixty-seven patients with CLDs who received a zinc preparation (Zn-group; 196 patients), or who did not receive zinc (no Zn-treatment group; 71 patients), were retrospectively analyzed in this study. The Zn-group was divided into 4 groups according to their serum Zn concentrations at 6 months after the start of Zn treatment. Liver function significantly deteriorated in the no Zn-treatment group, while no notable change was observed in the Zn-group. The cumulative incidence rates of events and HCC at 3 years were observed to be lower in the Zn-group (9.5%, 7.6%) than in the no Zn-treatment group (24.9%, 19.2%) (p < 0.001). According to serum Zn concentrations, the cumulative incidence rates of events and HCC were significantly decreased in patients with Zn concentrations ≥ 70 µg/dL (p < 0.001). Zinc supplementation appears to be effective at maintaining liver function and suppressing events and HCC development, especially among patients whose Zn concentration is greater than
70 µg/dL.
Source : Journal Nutrients
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A network pharmacology-based study on the anti-hepatoma effect of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Yi Luo, Yu Feng, Lei Song, Gan-Qing He, Sha Li, Sha-Sha Bai, Yu-Jie Huang, Si-Ying Li, Mohammed M. Almutairi, Hong-Lian Shi, Qi Wang & Ming Hong
Abstract
Background
Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (RSM), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to inhibit tumorigenesis in various human cancers. However, the anticancer effects of RSM on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying mechanisms of action remain to be fully elucidated.
Methods
In this study, we aimed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of RSM in the treatment of HCC using a network pharmacology approach. In vivo and in vitro experiments were also performed to validate the therapeutic effects of RSM on HCC.
Results
In total, 62 active compounds from RSM and 72 HCC-related targets were identified through network pharmacological analysis. RSM was found to play a critical role in HCC via multiple targets and pathways, especially the EGFR and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. In addition, RSM was found to suppress HCC cell proliferation, and impair cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that RSM induced cell cycle G2/M arrest and apoptosis, and western blot analysis showed that RSM up-regulated the expression of BAX and down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 in MHCC97-H and HepG2 cells. Furthermore, RSM administration down-regulated the expression of EGFR, PI3K, and p-AKT proteins, whereas the total AKT level was not altered. Finally, the results of our in vivo experiments confirmed the therapeutic effects of RSM on HCC in nude mice.
Conclusions
We provide an integrative network pharmacology approach, in combination with in vitro and in vivo experiments, to illustrate the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of RSM action on HCC.
Source : Journal Chinese Medicine
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