PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seven patients undergoing endoscopic surveillance of known Barrett's esophagus were recruited. Freshly resected biopsy specimens were incubated with NPs coupled with FITC labeled Muc-2 antibodies and examined with MEI. Fluorescence intensity from Barrett's mucosa and control specimens were compared, followed by histological confirmation.
RESULTS: Fluorescence signals, indicating the presence of goblet cells, were noted for traditional MEI using Muc-2 antibodies in Barrett's intestinal metaplasia. Significantly stronger fluorescence signals were achieved with NPs coupled with FITC-conjugated Muc-2 antibodies. The results of MEI with NPs for the prediction of Barrett's metaplasia correlated with the final histopathological examination in all the cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Highly-specific NPs detected Barrett's metaplasia more efficiently than conventional MEI in this first feasibility study. MEI was as effective as standard histopathology for identifying Muc-2 containing goblet cells for diagnosis of Barrett's metaplasia. (DRKS-ID: DRKS00017747).
METHODS: A 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to analyze the pinnatane A selectivity in inducing cell death in cancer and normal cells. Various biological assays were carried out to analyze the anti-cancer properties of pinnatane A, such as a live/dead assay for cell death microscopic visualization, cell cycle analysis using propidium iodide (PI) to identify the cell cycle arrest phase, annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (annexin V-FITC)/PI flow cytometry assay to measure percentage of cell populations at different stages of apoptosis and necrosis, and DNA fragmentation assay to verify the late stage of apoptosis.
RESULTS: The MTT assay identified pinnatane A prominent dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity effects in Hep3B and HepG2 cells, with minimal effect on normal cells. The live/dead assay showed significant cell death, while cell cycle analysis showed arrest at the G₀/G₁ phase in both cell lines. Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry and DNA fragmentation assays identified apoptotic cell death in Hep3B and necrotic cell death in HepG2 cell lines.
CONCLUSIONS: Pinnatane A has the potential for further development as a chemotherapeutic agent prominently against human liver cells.
Methods: In this study, wtHALT-1 (wild type) and its Y110A mutated binding domain counterpart (mHALT-1) were produced and evaluated for their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on various cancer cell lines. A total of seven different tumour and non-tumour cell lines including HeLa, HepG2, SW-620, MCF-7, CCD841CoN, NHDF and HCT116 were used. Immunofluorescence assays were used to observe membrane binding and localization changes between both HALT-1 recombinant proteins based on 6xHis-tag detection.
Result: Based on MTT data, mHALT-1 demonstrated a significant reduction of 82% ± 12.21% in cytotoxic activity across all cell lines after the membrane recognition domain had been mutated in comparison to the wtHALT-1. Annexin V FITC/PI assay data also indicated that HeLa, HepG2 and MCF-7 demonstrated an apoptosis-mediated cell death after being treated with wtHALT-1. Additionally, a notable difference between wtHALT-1 and mHALT-1 binding affinity was clearly observed where emission of green fluorescence along the cell membrane was observed only in wtHALT-1 treated cells.
Discussion: These results suggest that mHALT-1 (Y110A) can be potentially developed as a toxin-moiety candidate for the development of future immunotoxins against various human cell-based diseases.
Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of MAN on human lung cancer and reveal the underlying molecular mechanism.
Methods: MTT assay was conducted to measure cell viability. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was used to detect cell apoptosis. Confocal microscope was performed to determine the formation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes. Flow cytometry was performed to quantify cell death. Western blotting was used to determine the related-signaling pathway.
Results: In the present study, we demonstrated for the first time that MAN inhibitd cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in human non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells. We found that MAN treatment dysregulated mitochondrial function and led to mitochondrial apoptosis in A549 and PC9 cells. Meanwhile, MAN enhanced autophagy flux by the increase of autophagosome formation, the fusion of autophagsomes and lysosomes and lysosomal function. Moreover, mTOR signaling pathway, a classical pathway regualting autophagy, was inhibited by MAN in a time- and dose-dependent mannner, resulting in autophagy induction. Interestingly, autophagy inhibition by CQ or Atg5 knockdown attenuated cell apoptosis by MAN, indicating that autophagy serves as cell death. Furthermore, autophagy-mediated cell death by MAN can be blocked by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger NAC, indicating that ROS accumulation is the inducing factor of apoptosis and autophagy. In summary, we revealed the molecular mechanism of MAN against lung cancer through apoptosis and autophagy, suggesting that MAN might be a novel therapeutic agent for NSCLC treatment.
Materials and Methods: SF1 was produced by optimized methodology for bioassay-guided fractionation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were carried out to characterize the SF1. SF1 was screened for cytotoxicity activity toward HeLa, SiHa, and normal cells (NIH) cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The anticancer mechanism of SF1 was evaluated toward SiHa cells, which showed highest cytotoxicity toward SF1 treatment. The mechanism includes cell cycle progression and protein expression, which was detected using specific antibody-conjugated fluorescent dye, p53-FITC, by flow cytometry.
Results: Major constituents of SF1 were alkaloids with amines as functional group. SF1 showed highest cytotoxic activity against SiHa (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] < 10 µg/mL) compared to HeLa cells. Cytoselectivity of SF1 was observed with no IC50 detected on normal NIH cells. On flow cytometry analysis, SF1 was able to induce apoptosis on SiHa cells by arresting cell cycle at G1/S and upregulation of p53 protein.
Conclusion: SF1 showed anticancer activity by inducing apoptosis through arrested G1/S cell cycle checkpoint-mediated mitochondrial pathway.