JIANBO ZHOU^1,2,3, FENG WAN^2,4, BIN XIAO⁵, XIN LI¹, CHENG PENG^2,*, FU PENG^1,3,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.5, pp. 943-953, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.044775

Abstract Breast and lung cancers are the leading causes of mortality and most frequently diagnosed cancers in women and men, respectively, worldwide. Although the antitumor activity of chalcones has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms of isoliquiritigenin analog 2', 4', 4-trihydroxychalcone (metochalcone; TEC) against carcinomas remain less well understood. In this study, we found that TEC inhibited cell proliferation of breast cancer BT549 cells and lung cancer A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. TEC induced cell cycle arrest in the S-phase, cell migration inhibition in vitro, and reduced tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis revealed that TEC modulated the activity… More > Graphic Abstract

WEN GE^1,2,#, YA LI^1,2,#, YUTING RUAN^1,2, NINGXIA WU^1,2, PEI MA^3,4, TONGPENG XU^3,4, YONGQIAN SHU^3,4, YINGWEI WANG^1,2, WEN QIU^1,2, CHENHUI ZHAO^3,4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 625-641, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.031053

Abstract The cancer cell metastasis is a major death reason for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although researchers have disclosed that interleukin 17 (IL-17) can increase matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) induction causing NSCLC cell metastasis, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the study, we found that IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), p300, p-STAT3, Ack-STAT3, and MMP19 were up-regulated both in NSCLC tissues and NSCLC cells stimulated with IL-17. p300, STAT3 and MMP19 overexpression or knockdown could raise or reduce IL-17-induced p-STAT3, Ack-STAT3 and MMP19 level as well as the cell migration and invasion. Mechanism investigation revealed that STAT3 and p300 bound… More > Graphic Abstract

YAN LI¹, HUZHI CAI², XIAOLING PENG³, YOUHUI LIU⁴, QINGYANG CHEN⁴, XIANGDONG LIN⁵, XINYU CHEN^6,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.3, pp. 501-511, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030854

Abstract Background: Renal fibrosis is an important process in the development of chronic kidney disease. Understanding the pathogenesis and finding effective treatments for renal fibrosis is crucial. This study aims to investigate whether a newly discovered long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) called LOC103694972 could be a potential target for treating fibrosis of NRK-49F cells. Methods:: LncRNA Chip was used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs between TGF-β1-induced NRK-49F cells and normal cells. The dual-luciferase assay confirmed the binding between miR-29c-3p and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3), as well as between miR-29c-3p and lncRNA LOC103694972. Si-LOC103694972 and miR-29c-3p mimic were then transfected… More > Graphic Abstract

LIANLI NI^1,2,#, YUN YU^1,2,#, HAN LIN^1,2, WEISHAN ZHUGE², LU TAO², YIWEI SHEN², RI CUI^2,*, SHAOTANG LI^1,2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.10, pp. 2245-2254, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030147

Abstract Background: Homeobox B8 (HOXB8), a member of HOX family, plays a key role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the function of HOXB8 in oxaliplatin (OXA) resistance in CRC is still unclear. This study investigated the role and precise molecular mechanism of HOXB8 in OXA-resistant CRC cells. Methods: The cell viability was measured by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the colony forming ability was determined by colony formation assay. The silencing RNA (siRNA) approach was used to knockdown HOXB8 in CRC cells while the lentiviral transfection system was used to establish stable HOXB8 overexpressing CRC… More >

LINGYAN LV^1,2,#, JING ZHAO^1,2,#, XUAN WANG^1,2, LIUYAN XU^1,2, YINGYI FAN², CHUNHUI WANG³, HONGQIAO FAN^4,5,*, XIAOHUA PEI^5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.9, pp. 1977-1994, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030742

Abstract Background: The development and prognosis of breast cancer are intricately linked to psychological stress. In addition, depression is the most common psychological comorbidity among breast cancer survivors, and reportedly, Fang-Xia-Dihuang decoction (FXDH) can effectively manage depression in such patients. However, its pharmacological and molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Methods: Public databases were used for obtaining active components and related targets. Main active components were further verified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). Protein–protein interaction and enrichment analyses were taken to predict potential hub targets and related pathways. Molecule docking was used to understand the interactions between main compounds and hub… More >

ZHENG CAO^1,#, CHUNXIAO ZHOU^1,#, ZHIMIN WU¹, CHUNYAN WU¹, WEN ZHANG¹, SHILV CHEN¹, XINDONG ZHAO¹, SHAOLING WU^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.5, pp. 1075-1083, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027027

Abstract Background: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is reported to be a potential anticancer agent, and the mechanisms underlying the effects of DHA on diffuse large B cell lymphoma however are still obscure. This study aimed to assess the antitumor effect of DHA on diffuse large B cell lymphoma cells and to determine the potential underlying mechanisms of DHA-induced cell apoptosis. Methods: Here, the Cell Counting Kit 8 assay was conducted to study cell proliferation. We performed Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis to analyze cell apoptosis and potential molecular mechanisms. Results: The results showed that DHA substantially… More >

WEI XIA¹, NING YANG², XIAOYAN FENG³, TING XIN¹, YONGLE JING¹, YUMING LI^4,*, CHENGZHI LU^1,5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 837-847, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026161

Abstract Background: Preeclampsia (PE), characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, leads to serious maternal and infant complications. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) belongs to the UCK family, a class of enzymes that catalyzes the conversion of uridine and cytidine to monophosphate form. However, the role of UCK2 in PE has not been reported. Methods: The expression of UCK2 was detected in the placenta of PE patients and N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl esterinduced PE mouse model. Through forced up-regulation or down-regulation of UCK2 in vitro, we examined the effects of UCK2 on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of trophoblast cells. Stattic, the inhibitor of STAT3… More >

TIANZHU LI^1,#, YU ZHANG^2,#, TONG ZHANG^2,#, YANNAN LI², HUI XUE², JINGLONG CAO², WENSHUANG HOU², YINGHUA LUO^3,*, CHENGHAO JIN^2,4,*,

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.1, pp. 195-204, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025593

Abstract Schisandrin B (Sch B) is a monomer with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, which are isolated from the plant Schisandra chinensis (Turcz) Baillon. We investigated the anti-gastric cancer (GC) effects of Sch B and its underlying molecular mechanisms. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to determine the effects of Sch B on the viability of GC and normal cell lines. Hoechst/propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry were used to assess the apoptosis induction of Sch B. Western blotting was used to evaluate the effects of Sch B on downstream apoptotic proteins. The DCFH-DA fluorescent probe was used to assess the… More >

WANTONG LIU^1,#, DANYANG CHEN^1,#, JINGYAO SU^1,#, RUILIN ZHENG^1,#, RAN KONG¹, BING ZHU¹, HAO DONG^2,*, YINGHUA LI^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.1, pp. 187-194, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.023030

Abstract Liver cancer is the seventh most common malignant tumor in the world and is the second highest cause of death due to cancer. Quercetin, a flavonoid with low toxicity, widely exists in various fruits and vegetables. It has the potential to be a therapeutic agent against various cancers. This study aimed to demonstrate the anti-tumor effect of quercetin on HepG2 cells. Quercetin suppressed the HepG2 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in cell viability assay. Induction of cell apoptosis was confirmed by apoptotic cells population (sub-G1 peak) detected by flow cytometer. A decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 activation… More >

SANHUA LI^1,2,#, QINGHONG KONG^1,2,#, XIAOKE ZHANG^1,2, XINTING ZHU^1,3, CHUNBO YU³, CHANGYAN YU^1,2, NIAN JIANG^1,2, JING HUI^1,2, LINGJIE MENG^1,2,*, YUN LIU^1,2,3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.11, pp. 2425-2432, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019916

Abstract Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been increasingly employed in the last decades in China for both preventing and treating a variety of cancers. 3-epi-bufotalin is an active ingredient of TCM “Chanpi” with anti-tumor potential. However, the effect and mechanism of 3-epi-bufotalin on colorectal cancers were not well disclosed. The present study demonstrated that 3-epi-bufotalin could reduce viability, trigger apoptosis, and block the cell cycle at the G₂/M stage in colorectal cancer cell lines HT29, RKO, and COLO205 in vitro. Moreover, 3-epi-bufotalin inhibited the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway. These results indicated the anti-proliferation ability of 3-epi-bufotalin in colorectal cancer cells. More >