RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents the primary form of oral cancer, posing a significant global health threat. The existing chemotherapy options are accompanied by notable side effects impacting patient treatment adherence. Consequently, the exploration and development of novel substances with enhanced anticancer effects and fewer side effects have become pivotal in the realms of biological and chemical science. OBJECTIVE: This work presents the pioneering examples of naphthoquinone-coumarin hybrids as a new category of highly effective cytotoxic substances targeting oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: Given the significance of both naphthoquinones and coumarins as essential pharmacophores/ privileged structures in the quest for anticancer compounds, this study focused on the synthesis and evaluation of novel naphthoquinones/coumarin hybrids against oral squamous cell carcinoma. RESULTS: By several in vitro, in silico, and in vivo approaches, we demonstrated that compound 6e was highly cytotoxic against OSCC cells and several other cancer cell types and was more selective than current chemotherapeutic drugs (carboplatin) and the naphthoquinone lapachol. Furthermore, compound 6e was non-hemolytic and tolerated in vivo at 50 mg/kg with an LD50 of 62.5 mg/kg. Furthermore, compound 6e did not induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest but led to intracellular vesicle formation with LC3 aggregation in autophagosomes, suggesting an autophagic cell death. Additionally, 6e had a high-affinity potential for PKM2 protein, higher than the known ligands, such as lapachol or shikonin, and was able to inhibit this enzyme activity in vitro. CONCLUSION: We assert that compound 6e shows promise as a potential lead for a novel chemotherapeutic drug targeting OSCC, with potential applicability to other cancer types.
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Cancer is a principal cause of death in the world, and providing a better quality of life and reducing mortality through effective pharmacological treatment remains a challenge. Among malignant tumor types, squamous cell carcinoma-esophageal cancer (EC) is usually located in the mouth, with approximately 90% located mainly on the tongue and floor of the mouth. Piplartine is an alkamide found in certain species of the genus Piper and presents many pharmacological properties including antitumor activity. In the present study, the cytotoxic potential of a collection of piplartine analogs against human oral SCC9 carcinoma cells was evaluated. The analogs were prepared via Fischer esterification reactions, alkyl and aryl halide esterification, and a coupling reaction with PyBOP using the natural compound 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid as a starting material. The products were structurally characterized using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry for the unpublished compounds. The compound 4-methoxy-benzyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (9) presented an IC50 of 46.21 µM, high selectively (SI > 16), and caused apoptosis in SCC9 cancer cells. The molecular modeling study suggested a multi-target mechanism of action for the antitumor activity of compound 9 with CRM1 as the main target receptor.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Bucais , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço , Humanos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias Bucais/tratamento farmacológico , Qualidade de Vida , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Piperidonas/farmacologiaRESUMO
Monoterpenes are a group of natural products that have been widely studied due to their therapeutic potential against various pathologies. These compounds are abundant in the chemical composition of essential oils. Cancer is a term that covers more than 100 different types of malignant diseases and is among the leading causes of death in the world. Therefore, the search for new pharmacotherapeutic options applicable to cancer is urgent. In this review, studies on the antitumor activity of monoterpenes found in essential oils were selected, and botanical, chemical, and pharmacological aspects were discussed. The most investigated monoterpenes were carvacrol and linalool with highly significant in vitro and in vivo tumor inhibition in several types of cancers. The action mechanisms of these natural products are also presented and are wildly varied being apoptosis the most prevalent followed by cell cycle impairment, ROS production, autophagy, necroptosis, and others. The studies reported here confirm the antitumor properties of monoterpenes and their anticancer potential against various types of tumors, as demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo studies using various types of cancer cells and tumors in animal models. The data described serve as a reference for the advancement in the mechanistic studies of these compounds and in the preparation of synthetic derivatives or analogues with a better antitumor profile.
Assuntos
Produtos Biológicos , Neoplasias , Óleos Voláteis , Animais , Monoterpenos/química , Monoterpenos/farmacologia , Monoterpenos/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Óleos Voláteis/química , Óleos Voláteis/farmacologia , Óleos Voláteis/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a worldwide public health problem, accounting for approximately 90% of all oral cancers, and is the eighth most common cancer in men. Cisplatin and carboplatin are the main chemotherapy drugs used in the clinic. However, in addition to their serious side effects, such as damage to the nervous system and kidneys, there is also drug resistance. Thus, the development of new drugs becomes of great importance. Naphthoquinones have been described with antitumor activity. Some of them are found in nature, but semi synthesis has been used as strategy to find new chemical entities for the treatment of cancer. In the present study, we promote a multiple component reaction (MCR) among lawsone, arylaldehydes, and benzylamine to produce sixteen chemoselectively derivated Mannich adducts of 1,4-naphthoquinones in good yield (up to 97%). The antitumor activities and molecular mechanisms of action of these compounds were investigated in OSCC models and the compound 6a induced cytotoxicity in three different tumor cell lines (OSCC4, OSCC9, and OSCC25) and was more selective (IS > 2) for tumor cells than the chemotropic drug carboplatin and the controls lapachol and shikonin, which are chemically similar compounds with cytotoxic effects. The 6a selectively and significantly reduced the amount of cell colony growth, was not hemolytic, and tolerable in mice with no serious side effects at a concentration of 100 mg/kg with a LD50 of 150 mg/kg. The new compound is biologically stable with a profile similar to carboplatin. Morphologically, 6a does not induce cell retraction or membrane blebs, but it does induce intense vesicle formation and late emergence of membrane bubbles. Exploring the mechanism of cell death induction, compound 6a does not induce ROS formation, and cell viability was not affected by inhibitors of apoptosis (ZVAD) and necroptosis (necrostatin 1). Autophagy followed by a late apoptosis process appears to be the death-inducing pathway of 6a, as observed by increased viability by the autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) and by the appearance of autophagosomes, later triggering a process of late apoptosis with the presence of caspase 3/7 and DNA fragmentation. Molecular modeling suggests the ability of the compound to bind to topoisomerase I and II and with greater affinity to hPKM2 enzyme than controls, which could explain the mechanism of cell death by autophagy. Finally, the in-silico prediction of drug-relevant properties showed that compound 6a has a good pharmacokinetic profile when compared to carboplatin and doxorubicin. Among the sixteen naphthoquinones tested, compound 6a was the most effective and is highly selective and well tolerated in animals. The induction of cell death in OSCC through autophagy followed by late apoptosis possibly via inhibition of the PKM2 enzyme points to a promising potential of 6a as a new preclinical anticancer candidate.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Neoplasias Bucais , Naftoquinonas , Animais , Camundongos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Bucais/metabolismo , Carboplatina/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Apoptose , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Autofagia , Naftoquinonas/químicaRESUMO
Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) plays a dual role acting as tumor promoter or suppressor. Along with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and oncogenic Ras, this multifunctional cytokine is deregulated in colorectal cancer. Despite their individual abilities to promote tumor growth and invasion, the mechanisms of cross regulation between these pathways is still unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of TGF-ß, Ras oncogene and COX-2 in the colorectal cancer context. We used colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 and Ras-transformed IEC-6 cells, both treated with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ), TGF-ß or a combined treatment with these agents. We demonstrated that PGE2 alters the subcellular localization of E-cadherin and ß-catenin and enhanced the tumorigenic potential in HT-29 cells. This effect was inhibited by TGF-ß, indicating a tumor suppressor role. Conversely, in Ras-transformed IEC-6 cells, TGF-ß induced COX-2 expression and increased invasiveness, acting as a tumor promoter. In IEC-6 Ras-transformed cells, TGF-ß increased nuclear ß-catenin and Wnt/ß-catenin activation, opposite to what was seen in the PGE2 and TGF-ß joint treatment in HT-29 cells. Together, our findings show that TGF-ß increases COX-2 levels and induces invasiveness cooperating with Ras in a Wnt/ß-catenin activation-dependent manner. This shows TGF-ß dual regulation over COX-2/PGE2 tumor promotion depending on the H-Ras and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways activation status in intestinal cancer cells.
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Carcinogênese/metabolismo , Carcinogênese/patologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/metabolismo , Ciclo-Oxigenase 2/metabolismo , Dinoprostona/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/metabolismo , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/metabolismo , Via de Sinalização Wnt , Caderinas/metabolismo , Movimento Celular , Proliferação de Células , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Células HT29 , Humanos , Invasividade Neoplásica , Fatores de Transcrição TCF/metabolismo , Transcrição Gênica , beta Catenina/metabolismoRESUMO
The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) stands out as a public health problem due to its high incidence and low survival rate, despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, the most commonly chemotherapeutic agents for OSCC, such as carboplatin and cisplatin, generate important side effects, evidencing the urgency in developing new drugs. Naphthoquinones are an important class of natural products or synthetic compounds with cytotoxic effect demonstrated on different cancer types. In the present study, thirty-five 1,4-naphthoquinones tethered to 1,2,3-1H-triazoles were synthesized and the antitumor activity and molecular mechanisms were evaluated in several assays including in vitro and in vivo models of OSCC and normal oral human cells. Compounds 16a, 16b and 16 g were able to induce cytotoxicity in three different tumor cell lines of human OSCC (SCC4, SCC9 and SCC25) and were more toxic and selective to tumor cells (Selective Index, SI > 2) than classical and chemically similar controls (Carboplatin and Lapachol). Compound 16 g showed the higher SI value. Besides, compounds 16a, 16b and 16 g significantly reduced colony formation of SCC9 cells in the tested concentrations. Hemolytic assay using compounds 16a, 16b and 16 g at high concentrations showed no compound exhibited hemolysis higher than 5%, similar to controls. In vivo acute toxicity study showed that 16 g was the only one, among the three compounds, with no apparent limiting toxic effects on mice in the tested concentrations. Thus, the investigation of cell death mechanisms was conducted with this compound. 16 g does not trigger ROS production nor binds to DNA. On the other hand, compound 16 g induced microtubule disorganization, and molecular modeling studies suggests a potential mechanism of action related to inhibition of topoisomerases and/or hPKM2 activities. Cell morphology, pyknotic nuclei presence, cleaved caspase-3 staining and viability assays using caspase-3 inhibitors demonstrate compound 16 g induced cell death through apoptosis. Among the 35 synthesized triazole naphthoquinones, compound 16 g was the most effective compound against OSCC cells, presenting high cytotoxicity (~35 µM), selectivity (SI ~ 6) and low acute toxicity on animals, and therefore might be considered for future cancer therapy.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Bucais/tratamento farmacológico , Naftoquinonas/uso terapêutico , Triazóis/uso terapêutico , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Estrutura Molecular , Naftoquinonas/química , Triazóis/químicaRESUMO
Periodontal disease is one of the most common causes of tooth loss in the world. Ligature-induced is the most used method to study periodontitis. Here, we describe a alternative, easy and accessible experimental technique of ligation in mice. Twenty C57BL/6 female mice were divided in two groups, control and ligation. Ligature group (n = 10) was immobilized in a well described stabilization board and ligature was performed at the first molar using a new procedure here described in detail. Eight weeks later animals were euthanized, and periodontitis hallmarks were evaluated. Ligatures remained attached to the teeth in all animal during the hole experiment. The procedure induced a temporary loss of weight but no causalities or tooth loss. The animals affected by ligation in their molar teeth presented all periodontitis hallmarks, including alveolar bone loss, gingival retraction and inflammatory infiltrate in the studied region both macro and microscopically. The alternative method is low cost, easily reproducible, and induces all periodontitis hallmarks that are sustained until 8 weeks after placement. â¢Ligature-induced periodontitis in mouse is a powerful tool of research.â¢Methods describing the procedure in literature are difficult to reproduce.â¢A alternative stabilization and ligation procedure in mice is completely described here.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. Plants of the genusPiper are used in traditional medicine to treat cancer, and they have a vast diversity of phytochemicals with cytotoxic potential. Purpose and Study Design: In this work, we analyzed the cytotoxic and selective potential of extracts and semipurified fractions of Piper mollicomum (PM), Piper truncatum (PT), Piper cernuum (PC), Piper arboreum (PA), and Piper cabralanum (PCa) using three different OSCC cell lines (SCC4, SCC9 and SCC25), and we measured their in vivo toxicities and conducted chemical analyses of their active fractions. RESULTS: The dichloromethane fractions of the crude methanolic extracts of the leaves of PM(-L-D), PC(-L-D) and PCa(-L-D) exhibited notable IC50 values of 94.2, 47.2 and 47.5 µg/mL, respectively, and all three of these extracts were more active than carboplatin (172.3 µg/mL). The most selective fraction was PC-L-D, which exhibited SI > 4.5; less than 5% hemolysis; and no significant alterations in in vivo acute toxicology. The major constituents in active fractions were lignans (PC-L-D and PCa-L-D) and chromenes (PM-L-D). CONCLUSION: PC-L-D demonstrated great potential for further development as an anticancer drug and could be the key to developing more effective and less toxic therapies against oral cancer.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/uso terapêutico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/tratamento farmacológico , Citotoxinas/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias Bucais/tratamento farmacológico , Piper , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Animais , Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/isolamento & purificação , Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/farmacologia , Brasil , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Sobrevivência Celular/fisiologia , Citotoxinas/isolamento & purificação , Citotoxinas/farmacologia , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neoplasias Bucais/patologia , Extratos Vegetais/isolamento & purificação , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologiaRESUMO
AIM: The current work shows a new synthetic methodology to obtain 21 naphthoquinones that have been evaluated against oral cavity cancer. The compounds were obtained by a three-component reaction involving lawsone, dimedone and aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by lithium chloride under microwave irradiation to produce families of 1,4- and 1,2-naphthoquinones. RESULTS: A clonogenic assay was performed on SCC9 cell line cultures with all compounds, revealing five very active compounds. In the 3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell viability assay using three different cell lines (SCC9, SCC4 and SCC25), 8c had an average IC50 of approximately 1.45 µM capable of reducing tumor cell viability, approximately 90-times higher than carboplatin. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the xanthene-naphthoquinone derivatives show promising bioactivity for oral cavity cancer treatment.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/química , Xantenos/química , Animais , Antineoplásicos/síntese química , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Carboplatina/farmacologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/metabolismo , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Eritrócitos/citologia , Eritrócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Eritrócitos/metabolismo , Hemólise/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Camundongos , Neoplasias Bucais/metabolismo , Neoplasias Bucais/patologia , Células NIH 3T3 , Naftoquinonas/química , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Xantenos/síntese química , Xantenos/farmacologiaRESUMO
The NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) family of transcription factors is composed of four calcium-responsive proteins (NFAT1 to -4). The NFAT2 (also called NFATc1) gene encodes the isoforms NFAT2α and NFAT2ß that result mainly from alternative initiation exons that provide two different N-terminal transactivation domains. However, the specific roles of the NFAT2 isoforms in cell physiology remain unclear. Because previous studies have shown oncogenic potential for NFAT2, this study emphasized the role of the NFAT2 isoforms in cell transformation. Here, we show that a constitutively active form of NFAT2α (CA-NFAT2α) and CA-NFAT2ß distinctly control death and transformation in NIH 3T3 cells. While CA-NFAT2α strongly induces cell transformation, CA-NFAT2ß leads to reduced cell proliferation and intense cell death through the upregulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). CA-NFAT2ß also increases cell death and upregulates Fas ligand (FasL) and TNF-α in CD4(+) T cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that differential roles of NFAT2 isoforms in NIH 3T3 cells depend on the N-terminal domain, where the NFAT2ß-specific N-terminal acidic motif is necessary to induce cell death. Interestingly, the NFAT2α isoform is upregulated in Burkitt lymphomas, suggesting an isoform-specific involvement of NFAT2 in cancer development. Finally, our data suggest that alternative N-terminal domains of NFAT2 could provide differential mechanisms for the control of cellular functions.