RESUMEN

Cancer stem-like cells are rare immortal cells within tumor, which are thought to play important roles in ionizing radiation (IR) therapy-resistance. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid with potential anti-cancer properties without significant cytotoxicity in normal tissues. In this study, we demonstrated that quercetin-IR combination treatment exhibited more dramatic anti-cancer effect than either quercetin or IR treatment alone via targeting colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) and inhibiting the Notch-1 signaling. These effects were further verified by in vivo studies which showed remarkable decrease of the CSCs markers and the expression of Notch-1 signaling proteins in human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice. Co-treatment with quercetin and low dose of radiation significantly reduced the expressions of all five proteins of γ-secretase complex in HT-29 and DLD-1 cells. In addition, ectopic expression of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) partly reversed the inhibition effects by the combination therapy. In conclusion, our results indicated that the combination of quercetin (20 µM) and IR (5Gy) might be a promising therapeutic strategy for colon cancer treatment by targeting colon cancer stem-like cells and inhibiting the Notch-1 signaling. In future studies, we intend to further explore the potential therapeutic efficacy of the quercetin-radiation combination treatment in clinical trials.

Asunto(s)

Neoplasias del Colon/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias del Colon/radioterapia , Quercetina/uso terapéutico , Tolerancia a Radiación/efectos de los fármacos , Receptores Notch/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal , Secretasas de la Proteína Precursora del Amiloide/metabolismo , Animales , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Apoptosis/efectos de la radiación , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Proliferación Celular/efectos de la radiación , Neoplasias del Colon/metabolismo , Neoplasias del Colon/patología , Regulación hacia Abajo/efectos de los fármacos , Regulación hacia Abajo/efectos de la radiación , Humanos , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Ratones Desnudos , Células Madre Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Células Madre Neoplásicas/patología , Células Madre Neoplásicas/efectos de la radiación , Quercetina/farmacología , Tolerancia a Radiación/efectos de la radiación , Radiación Ionizante , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Transducción de Señal/efectos de la radiación , Ensayos Antitumor por Modelo de Xenoinjerto

RESUMEN

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.