chrysin and Colorectal-Neoplasms

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most fatal and the third most diagnosed type of cancer worldwide. Despite having multifactorial causes, most CRC cases are mainly determined by dietary factors. In recent years, a large number of studies have attributed a protective effect to polyphenols and foods containing these compounds (fruits and vegetables) against CRC. Indeed, polyphenols have been reported to interfere with cancer initiation, promotion, and progression, acting as chemopreventive agents. The aim of this review is to summarize the main chemopreventive properties of some polyphenols (quercetin, rutin, myricetin, chrysin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epicatechin, catechin, resveratrol, and xanthohumol) against CRC, observed in cell culture models. From the data reviewed in this article, it can be concluded that these compounds inhibit cell growth, by inducing cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis; inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, and/or metastasis; and exhibit anti-inflammatory and/or antioxidant effects. In turn, these effects involve multiple molecular and biochemical mechanisms of action, which are still not completely characterized. Thus, caution is mandatory when attempting to extrapolate the observations obtained in CRC cell line studies to humans.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Catechin; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Colorectal Neoplasms; Diet; Flavonoids; Fruit; Humans; Phenols; Polyphenols; Propiophenones; Quercetin; Resveratrol; Rutin; Stilbenes; Vegetables

Recently, it was shown that chrysin causes upregulation of UGT1A1 in Caco-2 intestinal cells. Therefore, we proposed that oral chrysin may reduce irinotecan (CPT-11) induced diarrhoea by shifting the SN-38G/SN-38 equilibrium towards the inactive SN-38G in the gastrointestinal mucosa. The purpose of this study was to examine the safety of combining single agent CPT-11 with chrysin.. Twenty patients with previously treated advanced colorectal cancer were administered chrysin twice daily for 1 week preceding and succeeding treatment with single agent CPT-11 (350 mg/m(2) over 90 min every 3 weeks). Loperamide usage and bowel frequency/consistency were recorded by patients into a study diary and blood samples were collected for CPT-11 pharmacokinetic analysis.. There were no observable toxicities that could be attributed to chrysin use. The grades and frequency of delayed diarrhoea were mild, with only 10% of patients experiencing grade 3 toxicity. Loperamide usage was also modest with a median of 1-5 tablets per cycle (range: 0-22). Pharmacokinetic results revealed a mass ratio of plasma SN-38G/SN-38, which was very similar to historical controls (7.15 +/- 5.67, n = 18).. These findings, combined with the observation of clinical activity and grade 3/4 neutropenia in 25% of patients, suggest that combining chrysin with CPT-11 may be a safe and potentially useful means of preventing diarrhoea, although this needs to be further investigated in the setting of a randomised trial.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Area Under Curve; Caco-2 Cells; Camptothecin; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Colorectal Neoplasms; Diarrhea; Drug Administration Schedule; Enzyme Induction; Female; Flavonoids; Glucuronates; Glucuronosyltransferase; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Irinotecan; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neutropenia; Pilot Projects

Colorectal cancer is one of the primary causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The tumor microenvironment contains growth factors; inflammatory chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and pro-oxidants leading to cancer development and progression. Phytochemicals have been used as the main source of anti-cancer agents. Accordingly, the effect of two natural flavonoids (Chrysin and Daidzein) was investigated on the level of amphiregulin (AREG), chemokine ligand (CXCL1), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH) induced colorectal cancer. Rats were injected by DMH (40 mg/kg/week S.C.) for 16 weeks concomitantly with 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water for three cycles. Rats were orally treated with chrysin (125 and 250 mg/kg) and daidzein (5 and10 mg/kg) three times/week for the last 8 weeks. DMH + DSS group showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the levels of AREG (2386 ± 18 vs 1377 ± 10 pg/ml), CXCL1 (18 ± 0.9 vs 6 ± 0.83 g/ml), MMP-9 (1355 ± 88 vs 452 ± 7 pg/ml) compared to normal rats. These findings were associated with a potent antioxidant activity against cytochrome P450 2E1; (CYP2E1). Histopathological findings of the DMH + DSS group showed focal hyperplasia of the mucosa lining overlying crypts with moderate inflammation, dysplastic epithelial cells, and loss of goblet cells. Chrysin and daidzein treatment significantly (P < 0.05) restored the biochemical alterations and reverted histopathological findings near to the normal status. Moreover, chrysin and daidzein exerted anticancer activity against SW620 cells that were associated with decreased the protein expression of p-ERK/ERK and p-AKT/AKT. In conclusion, this study highlighted the potential anticancer role of chrysin and daidzein in the treatment of colon cancer.

Topics: 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine; Amphiregulin; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chemokine CXCL1; Colon; Colorectal Neoplasms; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; Dextran Sulfate; Disease Models, Animal; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; Flavonoids; Humans; Isoflavones; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Oxidative Stress; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Signal Transduction

Either apigenin or chrysin alone has been found to exert anti-inflammatory and tumor suppressive effect. However, the combined effect of apigenin and chrysin on colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been fully clarified. We attempted to explore the effect of chrysin and apigenin on CRC and its related mechanism. SW480 and HCT-116 cells were treated with either apigenin or chrysin alone or two-drug combination at different doses of 5, 25, 50, 100 μM for optimal concentration determination. Then, we focused on the individual and combined effect of apigenin and chrysin on clonogenicity, apoptosis, metastasis-related behaviors of CRC cells by colony formation assay, cell scratch assay, flow cytometry, and transwell assay. The changes of the activation of P38-MAPK/AKT pathway were evaluated underlying apigenin and chrysin intervention, further after co-treated with P38-MAPK agonist anisomycin. Apigenin (25 μM) combined with chrysin (25 μM) were determined to be optimal. Treatment with the combination of apigenin (25 μM) and chrysin (25 μM) significantly reduced cell clone numbers, migration, and invasion ability, while increased the cell apoptosis in both CRC cell lines. The combined effect was higher than chrysin or apigenin alone. Meanwhile, p-P38 and p-AKT were significantly downregulated by chrysin and apigenin treatment. The tumor inhibitive effect of apigenin combined with chrysin was obviously reversed by adding P38 agonist, anisomycin. Apigenin (25 μM) combined with chrysin (25 μM) showed synergetic effect in inhibiting the growth and metastasis of CRC cells by suppressing the activity of P38-MAPK/AKT pathway.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Anisomycin; Apigenin; Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Clone Cells; Colorectal Neoplasms; Drug Synergism; Flavonoids; HCT116 Cells; Humans; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Proteins; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Tumor Stem Cell Assay

Chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with oxaliplatin is often used as the standard treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). The disturbing side effects and drug resistance commonly observed in chemotherapy motivate us to develop alternative optimal therapeutic options for CRC treatment. Chrysin, a natural and biologically active flavonoid abundant in propolis, is reported to have antitumor effects on a few CRCs. However, whether and how chrysin achieves similar effectiveness to the 5-FU combination is not clear. In this study, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), western blotting, fluorescence microscopy, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were assayed. We found that chrysin exhibited similar inhibition of cell viability as the 5-FU combination in a panel of human CRC cells. Furthermore, the results showed that chrysin significantly increased the levels of LC3-II, an autophagy-related marker, in CRC cells, which was not observed with the 5-FU combination. More importantly, blockage of autophagy induction restored chrysin-attenuated CRC cell viability. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that chrysin, not the 5-FU combination, induced ROS generation, and in turn, inhibited the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Collectively, these results imply that chrysin may be a potential replacement for the 5-FU and oxaliplatin combination to achieve antitumor activity through autophagy for CRC treatment in the future.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Autophagy; Cell Survival; Colorectal Neoplasms; Flavonoids; Fluorouracil; HCT116 Cells; HT29 Cells; Humans; Organoplatinum Compounds; Oxaliplatin; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Reactive Oxygen Species; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

The polyphenolic flavone chrysin has been evaluated as a natural chemopreventive agent due to its anti-cancer effects in a variety of cancer cell lines. However, the mechanism of the chemopreventive effect has been not well established, especially in human colorectal cancer cells. We evaluated the chemopreventive effect of chrysin in three different human colorectal cancer cell lines. We found that chrysin treatment consequently reduced cell viability via induction of apoptosis. We identified that the involvement of up-regulation of pro-apoptotic cytokines tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) α and β genes and consequent activation of the TNF-mediated transcriptional pathway in chrysin-induced apoptosis. Using our generated AHR siRNA expressing colorectal cancer cells, we demonstrated that the chrysin-induced up-regulation of Tnfα and β gene expression was dependent on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which is a ligand-receptor for chrysin. Subsequently, we found that the AHR siRNA expressing colorectal cancer cells were resistant to chrysin-induced apoptosis. Therefore, we concluded that AHR is required for the chrysin-induced apoptosis and the up-regulation of Tnfα and β gene expression in human colorectal cancer cells.

Topics: Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Colorectal Neoplasms; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2; Flavonoids; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Lymphotoxin-alpha; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; Serum Response Element; Signal Transduction; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Phenolic compounds are naturally occurring, bioactive substances with marked antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. The flavonoid chrysin, found in high levels in honey bee propolis, inhibits the activity of enzymes involved in carcinogenesis. We have investigated the effect of chrysin on pre-neoplastic colorectal lesions (ACF, aberrant crypt foci) in a rat model of chemical carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Female Wistar rats weighing 137.2 ± 24.3 g received weekly one subcutaneous injection of DMH (20 mg/kg) for 10 weeks. The animals were divided into five groups each with seven animals: Group 1, 0.9% saline; Group 2, DMH+0.9% saline; Group 3, DMH+chrysin (10 mg/kg); Group 4, DMH+chrysin (100 mg/kg); Group 5, DMH+chrysin (200 mg/kg). Groups 2 and 3 showed a significant increase in ACF number, nucleolus organizer regions per enterocyte nucleus and nitrite/nitrate serum levels compared with Group 1. Groups 4 and 5 presented a significant reduction in all these parameters compared with Group 2. The levels of antioxidant minerals (copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc) and the number of enteroendocrine and mucin-producing cells were significantly reduced in Groups 2 and 3 but were similar in Groups 4 and 5 compared with Group 1. Chrysin, at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, was effective in attenuating pathological colorectal remodeling, reducing the number of pre-neoplastic lesions in rats exposed to DMH. Some of these effects might be attributable to the recovery of antioxidant mineral levels, a reduction in systemic nitrosative stress and an inhibition of the cellular proliferation induced by this flavonoid.

Topics: 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine; Animals; Carcinogens; Colon; Colorectal Neoplasms; Female; Flavonoids; Precancerous Conditions; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rectum

The antitumor activity of 7-piperazinethylchrysin (7-PEC) was investigated in HCT-116 human colon cancer cells. MTT assay revealed that the IC50 of 7-PEC in HCT-116 cells was 1.5 µM after 72 h of treatment, much lower than that of chrysin (>100 µM). The data showed that 7-PEC was able to inhibit the growth of HCT-116 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Topical morphological changes of apoptotic body formation after 7-PEC treatment were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. 7-PEC reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (∆Ψm) of cells in a concentration-dependent manner and increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). After treatment with 7-PEC, a significant increase of Bax protein expression and decrease of Bcl-2 protein expression were observed at the same time. These events paralleled with activation of p53, caspase-3 and -9 and the release of cytochrome c (cyt‑c), as well as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) cleavage and downregulation of p-Akt. However, the apoptosis induced by 7-PEC was blocked by Ac-DEVD-CHO, a caspase-3 inhibitor. These results demonstrate that 7-PEC-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in HCT-116 human colon cancer cells triggers events responsible for caspase-dependent apoptosis pathways, and the elevated ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 is likely involved in this effect.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Caspase 3; Caspase 9; Caspase Inhibitors; Cell Survival; Colorectal Neoplasms; Cytochromes c; Down-Regulation; Flavonoids; HCT116 Cells; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria; Oligopeptides; Piperazines; Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Reactive Oxygen Species; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

The only FDA approved medication for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention is celecoxib. Its adverse effects underline the need for safer drugs. Polyphenols like resveratrol are in clinical trials for this purpose. This study aimed at examining effects of resveratrol alone and in combination with curcumin or chrysin on UGT induction in Caco-2 cells. Phytochemical combinations were selected using drug combination analyses of various anti-proliferation ratios of resveratrol+curcumin and resveratrol+chrysin.. Cell proliferation and UGT1A1 induction assays were carried out with individual polyphenols and combinations. Cell viability was determined with AlamarBlue assays. UGT1A1 mRNA was quantified via real time RT-PCR. UGT activity was determined with 4-methylumbelliferone (4MU) glucuronidation.. Cell proliferation IC(50) estimates (± SE) for resveratrol, curcumin and chrysin were 20.8 ± 1.2, 20.1 ± 1.1 and 16.3 ± 1.3μM respectively. Combination of anti-proliferative effects showed additivity for resveratrol+chrysin and resveratrol+curcumin. Resveratrol at its IC(50) mediated a four-fold induction of UGT1A1 mRNA in a concentration independent manner. Chrysin at its IC(50) induced UGT1A1 expression seven-fold while Curcumin at its IC(90) mediated a two-fold induction. The 20 μM:40μ M resveratrol+curcumin and 20 μM :32 μM resveratrol+chrysin combinations mediated the greatest increases in mRNA expression (12 and 22 folds respectively). Significant increase in 4-MU glucuronidation was observed with combinations exhibiting maximal mRNA induction.. Phytochemical combinations can offer greater chemoprevention than single agents. These chemicals might offer safer options than present synthetic therapeutics for CRC prevention.

Topics: Anticarcinogenic Agents; Caco-2 Cells; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Colorectal Neoplasms; Curcumin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Enzyme Induction; Flavonoids; Glucuronides; Glucuronosyltransferase; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Resveratrol; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Stilbenes

Chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid commonly found in many plants. The anti-cancer property of chrysin has been demonstrated although the molecular mechanisms remain to be further elucidated. In the present study, we found that, pretreatment with chrysin greatly sensitized various human cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-induced apoptosis. In the search of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the sensitization effect of chrysin, we discovered that such sensitization is closely associated with the inhibitory effect of chrysin on TNFalpha-mediated nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. Pretreatment with chrysin inhibited TNFalpha-induced degradation of Inhibitor of kappaB (IkappaB) protein and subsequent nuclear translocation of p65. As a result, chrysin suppressed the expression of NF-kappaB-targeted anti-apoptotic gene, c-FLIP-L. The role of c-FLIP-L was further confirmed by its ectopic expression, which significantly protected cell death induced by combined treatment with chrysin and TNFalpha. Data from this study thus reveal a novel function of chrysin and enhance the value of chrysin as an anti-cancer agent.

Topics: Apoptosis; CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; Colorectal Neoplasms; Down-Regulation; Drug Synergism; Flavonoids; HCT116 Cells; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Immunoblotting; Liver Neoplasms; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Neoplasms; NF-kappa B; Transfection; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha