echinacoside and Carcinoma--Hepatocellular

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and malignant cancers with no effective therapeutic approaches. Echinacoside (ECH), a phenylethanoid glycoside isolated from Chinese herbal medicine, Cistanche salsa, can inhibit HCC progression; however, poor absorption and low bioavailability limit its biological applications.. To improve ECH sensitivity to HepG2 cells, we developed a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-based drug delivery system to deliver ECH to HepG2 cells via galactose (GAL) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) conjugation (ECH@Au@MSN-PEGDE-GAL, or ECH@AMPG). Gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted to assess the effects of UBR5 on HCC cell apoptosis and glycolysis. Moreover, the interactions among intermediate products were also investigated to elucidate the mechanisms by which UBR5 functions.. The present study showed that ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component N-recognin 5 (UBR5) acted as an oncogene in HCC tissues and that its expression was inhibited by ECH. AMPG showed a high drug loading property and a slow and sustained release pattern over time. Moreover, owing to the valid drug accumulation, ECH@AMPG promoted apoptosis and inhibited glycolysis of HepG2 cells in vitro. In vivo experiments demonstrated that AMPG also enhanced the antitumor effects of ECH in HepG2 cell-bearing mice.. Our results indicated the clinical significance of UBR5 as a therapeutic target. On the basis of the nontoxic and high drug-loading capabilities of AMPG, ECH@AMPG presented better effects on HCC cells compared with free ECH, indicating its potential for the chemotherapy of HCC.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Delayed-Action Preparations; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Galactose; Glycosides; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Mice; Silicon Dioxide; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Echinacoside (ECH) is a phenylethanoid glycoside extracted from a Chinese herbal medicine, Cistanches salsa. ECH possesses many biological properties, including anti-inflammation, neural protection, liver protection, and antitumor. In the current study, we aimed to explore the effects of ECH on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that ECH could attenuate diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC in mice, and exerted antiproliferative and proapoptotic functions on HepG2 HCC cell line. ECH exposure in HepG2 cells dose-dependently reduced the phosphorylation of AKT (p-AKT) and enhanced the expression of p21 (a cell cycle inhibitor) and Bax (a proapoptotic protein). Furthermore, ECH significantly suppressed insulin-like growth factor-1-induced p-AKT and cell proliferation. These data indicated that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling was involved in the anti-HCC activity of ECH. Gene set enrichment analysis results revealed a positive correlation between the PI3K pathway and triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) expression in HCC tissues. ECH exposure significantly decreased TREM2 protein levels in HepG2 cells and DEN-induced HCC. Furthermore, ECH-mediated proliferation inhibition and AKT signaling inactivation were notably attenuated by TREM2 overexpression. In conclusion, ECH exerted its antitumor activity via decreasing TREM2 expression and PI3K/AKT signaling.

Topics: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Proliferation; Diethylnitrosamine; Glycosides; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Receptors, Immunologic; Signal Transduction