3-5-bis(2-fluorobenzylidene)piperidin-4-one and Stomach-Neoplasms

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Akt is an anti-apoptotic kinase that plays a dynamic role in cell survival and is implicated in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. MK-2206, the first allosteric inhibitor of Akt, is in clinical trials for a number of cancers. Although preclinical studies showed promise, clinical trials reported it had no effect when given alone at tolerated doses. The aim of our study was to delineate the effects of MK-2206 on gastric cancer cells and explore the ability of combination treatments to enhance the anti-tumour activity of MK-2206.. SGC-7901, BGC-823 cells and immunodeficient mice were chosen as a model to study the treatment effects. Changes in cell viability, apoptosis and ROS, endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the cells were analysed by MTT assays, ROS imaging and FACSCalibur, electron microscopy, JC-1 staining and western blotting.. MK-2206 induced apoptotic cell death through the generation of ROS. We utilized ROS production to target gastric cancer cells by combining MK-2206 and an ROS inducer EF24. Our in vitro and in vivo xenograft studies showed that combined treatment with MK-2206 and EF24 synergistically induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells and caused cell cycle arrest. These activities were mediated through ROS generation and the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.. Targeting ROS generation by using a combination of an Akt inhibitor and EF24 could have potential as a therapy for gastric cancer.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Benzylidene Compounds; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; Humans; Mitochondria; Oncogene Protein v-akt; Phosphorylation; Piperidones; Reactive Oxygen Species; Stomach Neoplasms; Structure-Activity Relationship

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in the world, and finding novel agents for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer is of urgent need. Diphenyl difluoroketone (EF24), a molecule having structural similarity to curcumin, exhibits potent anti-tumor activities by arresting cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. Although EF24 demonstrates potent anticancer effïcacy in numerous types of human cancer cells, the cellular targets of EF24 have not been fully defined. We report here that EF24 may interact with the thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1), an important selenocysteine (Sec)-containing antioxidant enzyme, to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells. By inhibiting TrxR1 activity and increasing intracellular ROS levels, EF24 induces a lethal endoplasmic reticulum stress in human gastric cancer cells. Importantly, knockdown of TrxR1 sensitizes cells to EF24 treatment. In vivo, EF24 treatment markedly reduces the TrxR1 activity and tumor cell burden, and displays synergistic lethality with 5-FU against gastric cancer cells. Targeting TrxR1 with EF24 thus discloses a previously unrecognized mechanism underlying the biological activity of EF24, and reveals that TrxR1 is a good target for gastric cancer therapy.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Benzylidene Compounds; Cell Line, Tumor; Female; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Piperidones; Reactive Oxygen Species; Stomach Neoplasms; Thioredoxin Reductase 1; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has emerged as a new potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer. Rapamycin and rapamycin analogs are undergoing clinical trials and have produced clinical responses in a subgroup of cancer patients. However, monotherapy with rapamycin at safe dosage fails to induce cell apoptosis and tumor regression which has hampered its clinical application. This has led to the exploration of more effective combinatorial regimens to enhance the effectiveness of rapamycin. In our present study, we have investigated the combination of rapamycin and a reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer EF24 in gastric cancer. We show that rapamycin increases intracellular ROS levels and displays selective synergistic antitumor activity with EF24 in gastric cancer cells. This activity was mediated through the activation of c-Jun N terminal kinase and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER) pathways in cancer cells. We also show that inhibiting ROS accumulation reverses ER stress and prevents apoptosis induced by the combination of rapamycin and EF24. These mechanisms were confirmed using human gastric cancer xenografts in immunodeficient mice. Taken together, our work provides a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer. The work reveals that ROS generation could be an important target for the development of new combination therapies for cancer treatment.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Benzylidene Compounds; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Drug Synergism; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Mice; Piperidones; Reactive Oxygen Species; Sirolimus; Stomach Neoplasms; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Diphenyl difluoroketone (EF24), a molecule having structural similarity to curcumin, was reported to inhibit proliferation of a variety of cancer cells in vitro. However, the efficacy and in vivo mechanism of action of EF24 in gastrointestinal cancer cells have not been investigated. Here, we assessed the in vivo therapeutic effects of EF24 on colon cancer cells. Using hexosaminidase assay, we determined that EF24 inhibits proliferation of HCT-116 and HT-29 colon and AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells but not of mouse embryo fibroblasts. Furthermore, the cancer cells showed increased levels of activated caspase-3 and increased Bax to Bcl-2 and Bax to Bcl-xL ratios, suggesting that the cells were undergoing apoptosis. At the same time, cell cycle analysis showed that there was an increased number of cells in the G(2)-M phase. To determine the effects of EF24 in vivo, HCT-116 colon cancer xenografts were established in nude mice and EF24 was given i.p. EF24 significantly suppressed the growth of colon cancer tumor xenografts. Immunostaining for CD31 showed that there was a lower number of microvessels in the EF24-treated animals coupled with decreased cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA and protein expression. Western blot analyses also showed decreased AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation in the tumors. Taken together, these data suggest that the novel curcumin-related compound EF24 is a potent antitumor agent that induces caspase-mediated apoptosis during mitosis and has significant therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal cancers.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Apoptosis; Benzylidene Compounds; Cell Cycle; Cell Growth Processes; Cell Line, Tumor; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclooxygenase 2; HCT116 Cells; HT29 Cells; Humans; Interleukin-8; Male; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Piperidones; Stomach Neoplasms; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays