Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 26 in total

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  1. Ananda Sadagopan SK, Mohebali N, Looi CY, Hasanpourghadi M, Pandurangan AK, Arya A, et al.
    J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 2015;34:147.
    PMID: 26643256 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-015-0266-y
    Natural compounds have been demonstrated to lower breast cancer risk and sensitize tumor cells to anticancer therapies. Recently, we demonstrated that vernodalin (the active constituent of the medicinal herb Centratherum anthelminticum seeds) induces apoptosis in breast cancer cell-lines. The aim of this work was to gain an insight into the underlying anticancer mechanism of vernodalin using in vitro and in vivo model.
  2. Hasanpourghadi M, Karthikeyan C, Pandurangan AK, Looi CY, Trivedi P, Kobayashi K, et al.
    J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 2016;35(1):58.
    PMID: 27030360 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-016-0332-0
    Microtubule Targeting Agents (MTAs) including paclitaxel, colchicine and vinca alkaloids are widely used in the treatment of various cancers. As with most chemotherapeutic agents, adverse effects and drug resistance are commonly associated with the clinical use of these agents. Methyl 2-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H- benzo[d]imidazole-5-carboxylate (MBIC), a benzimidazole derivative displays greater toxicity against various cancer compared to normal human cell lines. The present study, focused on the cytotoxic effects of MBIC against HeLa cervical cancer cells and possible actions on the microtubule assembly.
  3. Subramani B, Subbannagounder S, Palanivel S, Ramanathanpullai C, Sivalingam S, Yakub A, et al.
    Cytotechnology, 2016 Oct;68(5):2061-73.
    PMID: 26820972 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-016-9946-5
    Despite the surgical and other insertional interventions, the complete recuperation of myocardial disorders is still elusive due to the insufficiency of functioning myocardiocytes. Thus, the use of stem cells to regenerate the affected region of heart becomes a prime important. In line with this human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have gained considerable interest due to their potential use for mesodermal cell based replacement therapy and tissue engineering. Since MSCs are harvested from various organs and anatomical locations of same organism, thus the cardiac regenerative potential of human cardiac-derived MSCs (hC-MSCs) and human umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly derived MSC (hUC-MSCs) were tested concurrently. At in vitro culture, both hUC-MSCs and hC-MSCs assumed spindle shape morphology with expression of typical MSC markers namely CD105, CD73, CD90 and CD44. Although, hUC-MSCs and hC-MSCs are identical in term of morphology and immunophenotype, yet hUC-MSCs harbored a higher cell growth as compared to the hC-MSCs. The inherent cardiac regenerative potential of both cells were further investigated with mRNA expression of ion channels. The RT-PCR results demonstrated that both MSCs were expressing a notable level of delayed rectifier-like K(+) current (I KDR ) ion channel, yet the relative expression level was considerably varied between hUC-MSCs and hC-MSCs that Kv1.1(39 ± 0.6 vs 31 ± 0.8), Kv2.1 (6 ± 0.2 vs 21 ± 0.12), Kv1.5 (7.4 ± 0.1 vs 6.8 ± 0.06) and Kv7.3 (27 ± 0.8 vs 13.8 ± 0.6). Similarly, the Ca2(+)-activated K(+) current (I KCa ) channel encoding gene, transient outward K(+) current (I to ) and TTX-sensitive transient inward sodium current (I Na.TTX ) encoding gene (Kv4.2, Kv4.3 and hNE-Na) expressions were detected in both groups as well. Despite the morphological and phenotypical similarity, the present study also confirms the existence of multiple functional ion channel currents IKDR, IKCa, Ito, and INa.TTX in undifferentiated hUC-MSCs as of hC-MSCs. Thus, the hUC-MSCs can be exploited as a potential candidate for future cardiac regeneration.
  4. Shafie NH, Mohd Esa N, Ithnin H, Md Akim A, Saad N, Pandurangan AK
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:681027.
    PMID: 24260743 DOI: 10.1155/2013/681027
    Nutritional or dietary factors have drawn attention due to their potential as an effective chemopreventive agent, which is considered a more rational strategy in cancer treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of IP₆ extracted from rice bran on azoxymethane- (AOM-) induced colorectal cancer (CRC) in rats. Initially, male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, with 6 rats in each group. The rats received two intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of AOM in saline (15 mg/kg body weight) over a 2-week period to induce CRC. IP₆ was given in three concentrations, 0.2% (w/v), 0.5% (w/v), and 1.0% (w/v), via drinking water for 16 weeks. The deregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 have been implicated in colorectal tumorigenesis. β-Catenin and COX-2 expressions were analysed using the quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Herein, we reported that the administration of IP₆ markedly suppressed the incidence of tumors when compared to the control. Interestingly, the administration of IP₆ had also markedly decreased β-catenin and COX-2 in colon tumors. Thus, the downregulation of β-catenin and COX-2 could play a role in inhibiting the CRC development induced by IP₆ and thereby act as a potent anticancer agent.
  5. Shafie NH, Esa NM, Ithnin H, Saad N, Pandurangan AK
    Int J Mol Sci, 2013;14(12):23545-58.
    PMID: 24317430 DOI: 10.3390/ijms141223545
    Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), or phytic acid is a natural dietary ingredient and has been described as a "natural cancer fighter", being an essential component of nutritional diets. The marked anti-cancer effect of IP6 has resulted in our quest for an understanding of its mechanism of action. In particular, our data provided strong evidence for the induction of apoptotic cell death, which may be attributable to the up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-xl in favor of apoptosis. In addition, the up-regulation of caspase-3 and -8 expression and activation of both caspases may also contribute to the apoptotic cell death of human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells when exposed to IP6. Collectively, this present study has shown that rice bran IP6 induces apoptosis, by regulating the pro- and anti-apoptotic markers; Bax and Bcl-xl and via the activation of caspase molecules (caspase-3 and -8).
  6. Hasanpourghadi M, Looi CY, Pandurangan AK, Sethi G, Wong WF, Mustafa MR
    Curr Drug Targets, 2017;18(9):1086-1094.
    PMID: 27033190 DOI: 10.2174/1389450117666160401124842
    Phytometabolites are functional elements derived from plants and most of them exhibit therapeutic characteristics such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Phytometabolites exert their anti-cancer effect by targeting multiple signaling pathways. One of the remarkable phenomena targeted by phytometabolites is the Warburg effect. The Warburg effect describes the observation that cancer cells exhibit an increased rate of glycolysis and aberrant redox activity compared to normal cells. This phenomenon promotes further cancer development and progression. Recent observations revealed that some phytometabolites could target metabolic-related enzymes (e.g. Hexokinase, Pyruvate kinase M2, HIF-1) in cancer cells, with little or no harm to normal cells. Since hyper-proliferation of cancer cells is fueled by higher cellular metabolism, phytometabolites targeting these metabolic pathways can create synergistic crosstalk with induced apoptotic pathways and sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss phytometabolites that target the Warburg effect and the underlying molecular mechanism that leads to tumor growth suppression.
  7. Pandurangan AK, Mohebali N, Hasanpourghadi M, Looi CY, Mustafa MR, Mohd Esa N
    Biofactors, 2016 May;42(3):247-58.
    PMID: 26891685 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1267
    Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a nonspecific inflammatory disorder characterized by oxidative and nitrosative stress, leucocyte infiltration, and upregulation of inflammatory mediators. Boldine is an alkaloid compound found in Boldo tree, with multiple pharmacological actions, mainly anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulatory activities. Hence, the effect of boldine for its anti-inflammatory properties against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC in BALB/c mice was studied. Administration of boldine to DSS-induced mice protects colon damage by reduced disease activity index, spleen weight, and increased colon length. Also administration of boldine showed a reduction in the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and CD 68+ expression. Boldine reduced the colon damage, with significant reductions in both the extent and the severity of the inflammation as well as in crypt damage and leukocyte infiltration in the mucosa. Analysis in vivo showed clear decrease in the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17, and signal transducer and activator of transcription-(p-STAT3)(Y705) with nuclear factor (p65-NF-κB) production being reduced significantly. Moreover, p65-NF-κB activation was reduced in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. The data demonstrated that boldine may be beneficial in colitis through selective immunomodulatory effects, which may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of p65-NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways. © 2016 BioFactors, 42(3):247-258, 2016.
  8. Tan BL, Norhaizan ME, Pandurangan AK, Hazilawati H, Roselina K
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2016 Jan;29(1):205-12.
    PMID: 26826813
    Brewers' rice is one of abundant agricultural waste products in the rice industry. The present study is designed to investigate the potential of brewers' rice to inhibit the development of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in colon of azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats. The effects on the attenuation of hepatic toxicity and kidney function enzymes were also evaluated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: (G1) normal; (G2) AOM alone; and (G3), (G4), and (G5), which were AOM fed with 10%, 20%, and 40% (w/w) of brewers' rice, respectively. The rats in group 2-5 were injected intraperitoneally with AOM (15 mg/kg body weight) once weekly for two weeks. After 8 weeks of treatment,the total number of ACF/colon and the number of ACF in the distal and middle colon were significantly reduced in all treatment groups compared to G2 (p<0.05). Brewers' rice decreased the number of ACF with dysplastic morphology in a dose-dependent manner. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level in G5 was significantly lower compared to the G2 (p<0.05). In conclusion, this study found the potential value of brewers' rice in reducing the risk of cancer susceptibility in colon.
  9. Saadatdoust Z, Pandurangan AK, Ananda Sadagopan SK, Mohd Esa N, Ismail A, Mustafa MR
    J Nutr Biochem, 2015 Dec;26(12):1547-58.
    PMID: 26355019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.07.024
    Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for developing ulcerative colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CRC). The interleukin-6 (IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 signaling regulates survival and proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells and play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD and CRC. Cocoa is enriched with polyphenols that known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. Here, we explored the antitumor effects and mechanisms of cocoa diet on colitis-associated cancer (CAC) using the azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium model, with a particular focus on whether cocoa exerts its anticancer effect through the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. We found that cocoa significantly decreased the tumor incidence and size in CAC-induced mice. In addition to inhibiting proliferation of tumor epithelial cells, cocoa suppressed colonic IL-6 expression and subsequently activation of STAT3. Thus, our findings demonstrated that cocoa diet suppresses CAC tumorigenesis, and its antitumor effect is partly mediated by limiting IL-6/STAT3 activation. In addition, cocoa induces apoptosis by increased the expressions of Bax and caspase 3 and decreased Bcl-xl. Thus, we conclude that cocoa may be a potential agent in the prevention and treatment of CAC.
  10. Pandurangan AK, Mohebali N, Mohd Esa N, Looi CY, Ismail S, Saadatdoust Z
    Int Immunopharmacol, 2015 Oct;28(2):1034-43.
    PMID: 26319951 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2015.08.019
    Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) encompass at least two forms of intestinal inflammation: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both conditions are chronic and inflammatory disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, with an increasing prevalence being associated with the industrialization of nations and in developing countries. Patients with these disorders are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop cancer of the colon. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of a naturally occurring polyphenol, gallic acid (GA), in an experimental murine model of UC. A significant blunting of weight loss and clinical symptoms was observed in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-exposed, GA-treated mice compared with control mice. This effect was associated with a remarkable amelioration of the disruption of the colonic architecture, a significant reduction in colonic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and a decrease in the expression of inflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, GA reduced the activation and nuclear accumulation of p-STAT3(Y705), preventing the degradation of the inhibitory protein IκB and inhibiting of the nuclear translocation of p65-NF-κB in colonic mucosa. These findings suggest that GA exerts potentially clinically useful anti-inflammatory effects mediated through the suppression of p65-NF-κB and IL-6/p-STAT3(Y705) activation.
  11. Mohebali N, Pandurangan AK, Mustafa MR, Anandasadagopan SK, Alagumuthu T
    J Biochem Mol Toxicol, 2020 Dec;34(12):e22587.
    PMID: 32726518 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.22587
    Colorectal cancer is one of the most leading death-causing cancers in the world. Vernodalin, a cytotoxic sesquiterpene, has been reported to possess anticancer properties against human breast cancer cells. We aimed to examine the anticancer mechanism of vernodalin on human colon cancer cells. Vernodalin was used on human colon cancer cells, HT-29 and HCT116. The cytotoxicity of vernodalin on human colon cancer cells was determined through in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay. Small interfering RNA was used to analyze the cascade activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in HT-29, and HCT116 cells against vernodalin treatment. The protein expressions of caspase 3, Bcl-2, and Bax were examined through Western blot analysis. Immunoblot analysis on the JNK, ERK, and p38 MAPK pathways showed increased activation due to vernodalin treatment. It was proven from the JNK and p38 inhibition test that both pathways are significantly activated by vernodalin to induce apoptosis. Our results, collectively, showed the apoptosis-induced anticancer mechanism of vernodalin on human colon cancer cells that was mediated through the activation of JNK pathway and apoptotic regulator proteins. These results suggest that vernodalin could be developed as a potent chemotherapeutic agent for human colorectal cancer treatment.
  12. Khazaei S, Esa NM, Ramachandran V, Hamid RA, Pandurangan AK, Etemad A, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:5.
    PMID: 28197098 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00005
    Natural products are considered potent sources for novel drug discovery and development. The multiple therapeutic effects of natural compounds in traditional medicine motivate us to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of bulb of Allium atroviolaceum in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231, HeLa and HepG2 cell lines. The bulb methanol extract of A. atroviolaceum was found to be an active cell proliferation inhibitor at the time and dose dependent manner. Determination of DNA content by flow cytometry demonstrated S and G2/M phase arrest of MCF-7 cell, correlated to Cdk1 downregulation, S phase arrest in MDA-MB-231 which is p53 and Cdk1-dependent, sub-G0 cell cycle arrest in HeLa aligned with Cdk1 downregulation, G0/G1, S, G2/M phase arrest in HepG2 which is p53-dependent. Apoptosis as the mechanism of cell death was confirmed by morphology study, caspases activity assay, as well as apoptosis related gene expression, Bcl-2. Caspase-8, -9, and -3 activity with downregulation of Bcl-2 illustrated occurrence of both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in MCF7, while caspase-3 and -8 activity revealed extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, although Bcl-2 downregulated. In HeLa cells, the activity of caspase-9 and -3 and downregulation of Bcl-2 shows intrinsic pathway or mitochondrial pathway, whereas HepG2 shows caspase independent apoptosis. Further, the combination of the extract with tamoxifen against MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 and combination with doxorubicin against HeLa and HeG2 demonstrated synergistic effect in most concentrations, suggests that the bulb of A. atroviolaceum may be useful for the treatment of cancer lonely or in combination with other drugs.
  13. Barahuie F, Dorniani D, Saifullah B, Gothai S, Hussein MZ, Pandurangan AK, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2017;12:2361-2372.
    PMID: 28392693 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S126245
    Chitosan (CS) iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were coated with phytic acid (PTA) to form phytic acid-chitosan-iron oxide nanocomposite (PTA-CS-MNP). The obtained nanocomposite and nanocarrier were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analyses. Fourier transform infrared spectra and thermal analysis of MNPs and PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite confirmed the binding of CS on the surface of MNPs and the loading of PTA in the PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite. The coating process enhanced the thermal stability of the anticancer nanocomposite obtained. X-ray diffraction results showed that the MNPs and PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite are pure magnetite. Drug loading was estimated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and showing a 12.9% in the designed nanocomposite. Magnetization curves demonstrated that the synthesized MNPs and nanocomposite were superparamagnetic with saturation magnetizations of 53.25 emu/g and 42.15 emu/g, respectively. The release study showed that around 86% and 93% of PTA from PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite could be released within 127 and 56 hours by a phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4 and 4.8, respectively, in a sustained manner and governed by pseudo-second order kinetic model. The cytotoxicity of the compounds on HT-29 colon cancer cells was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The HT-29 cell line was more sensitive against PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite than PTA alone. No cytotoxic effect was observed on normal cells (3T3 fibroblast cells). This result indicates that PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite can inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells without causing any harm to normal cell.
  14. Khazaei S, Abdul Hamid R, Ramachandran V, Mohd Esa N, Pandurangan AK, Danazadeh F, et al.
    PMID: 29250124 DOI: 10.1155/2017/1468957
    Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and despite significant advances in therapy, it remains a critical health problem worldwide. Allium atroviolaceum is an herbaceous plant, with limited information about the therapeutic capability. We aimed to study the anticancer effect of flower extract and the mechanisms of action in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. The extract inhibits the proliferation of the cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The underlying mechanism involved the stimulation of S and G2/M phase arrest in MCF-7 and S phase arrest in MDA-MB-231 associated with decreased level of Cdk1, in a p53-independent pathway. Furthermore, the extract induces apoptosis in both cell lines, as indicated by the percentage of sub-G0 population, the morphological changes observed by phase contrast and fluorescent microscopy, and increase in Annexin-V-positive cells. The apoptosis induction was related to downregulation of Bcl-2 and also likely to be caspase-dependent. Moreover, the combination of the extract and tamoxifen exhibits synergistic effect, suggesting that it can complement current chemotherapy. LC-MS analysis displayed 17 major compounds in the extract which might be responsible for the observed effects. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential applications of Allium atroviolaceum extract as an anticancer drug for breast cancer treatment.
  15. Pandurangan AK, Saadatdoust Z, Esa NM, Hamzah H, Ismail A
    Biofactors, 2015 Jan-Feb;41(1):1-14.
    PMID: 25545372 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1195
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in males and the second most common cancer worldwide. Chronic colonic inflammation is a known risk factor for CRC. Cocoa contains many polyphenolic compounds that have beneficial effects in humans. The objective of this study is to explore the antioxidant properties of cocoa in the mouse model of azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis-associated cancer, focusing on the activation of Nrf2 signaling. Mice were treated with AOM/DSS and randomized to receive either a control diet or a 5 and 10% cocoa diet during the study period. On day 62 of the experiment, the entire colon was processed for biochemical and histopathological examination and further evaluations. Increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed in AOM/DSS-induced mice; however, subsequent administration of cocoa decreased the MDA. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, were decreased in the AOM/DSS mice. Cocoa treatment increases the activities/levels of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Inflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, were elevated during AOM/DSS-induction, and treatment with 5 and 10% cocoa effectively decreases the expression of iNOS and COX-2. The NF-E2-related factor 2 and its downstream targets, such as NQO1 and UDP-GT, were increased by cocoa treatment. The results of our study suggest that cocoa may merit further clinical investigation as a chemopreventive agent that helps prevent CAC.
  16. Pandurangan AK, Mohebali N, Norhaizan ME, Looi CY
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2015;9:3923-34.
    PMID: 26251571 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S86345
    Gallic acid (GA) is a polyhydroxy phenolic compound that has been detected in various natural products, such as green tea, strawberries, grapes, bananas, and many other fruits. In inflammatory bowel disease, inflammation is promoted by oxidative stress. GA is a strong antioxidant; thus, we evaluated the cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory role of GA in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Experimental acute colitis was induced in male BALB/c mice by administering 2.5% DSS in the drinking water for 7 days. The disease activity index; colon weight/length ratio; histopathological analysis; mRNA expressions of IL-21 and IL-23; and protein expression of nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were compared between the control and experimental mice. The colonic content of malondialdehyde and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activity were examined as parameters of the redox state. We determined that GA significantly attenuated the disease activity index and colon shortening, and reduced the histopathological evidence of injury. GA also significantly (P<0.05) reduced the expressions of IL-21 and IL-23. Furthermore, GA activates/upregulates the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream targets, including UDP-GT and NQO1, in DSS-induced mice. The findings of this study demonstrate the protective effect of GA on experimental colitis, which is probably due to an antioxidant nature of GA.
  17. Pandurangan AK, Ismail S, Saadatdoust Z, Esa NM
    Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2015;2015:605208.
    PMID: 26075036 DOI: 10.1155/2015/605208
    The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of allicin (10 mg/kg body weight, orally) in an experimental murine model of UC by administering 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water to BALB/c mice. DSS-induced mice presented reduced body weight, which was improved by allicin administration. We noted increases in CD68 expression, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, and Malonaldehyde (MDA) and mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, and IL-17, and decrease in the activities of enzymic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione reductase (GR), and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in DSS-induced mice. However, allicin treatment significantly decreased CD68, MPO, MDA, and proinflammatory cytokines and increased the enzymic antioxidants significantly (P < 0.05). In addition, allicin was capable of reducing the activation and nuclear accumulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), thereby preventing degradation of the inhibitory protein IκB and inducing inhibition of the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB-p65 in the colonic mucosa. These findings suggest that allicin exerts clinically useful anti-inflammatory effects mediated through the suppression of the NF-κB and IL-6/p-STAT3(Y705) pathways.
  18. Hasanpourghadi M, Pandurangan AK, Karthikeyan C, Trivedi P, Mustafa MR
    Oncotarget, 2017 Apr 25;8(17):28840-28853.
    PMID: 28392503 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16263
    Microtubule Targeting Agents (MTAs) induce cell death through mitotic arrest, preferentially affecting rapidly dividing cancer cells over slowly proliferating normal cells. Previously, we showed that Methyl 2-(-5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-5-carboxylate (MBIC) acts as a potential MTA. In this study, we demonstrated that MBIC exhibits greater toxicity towards non-aggressive breast cancer cell-line, MCF-7 (IC50 = 0.73 ± 0.0 μM) compared to normal fibroblast cell-line, L-cells (IC50 = 59.6 ± 2.5 μM). The IC50 of MBIC against the aggressive breast cancer cell-line, MDA-MB-231 was 20.4 ± 0.2 μM. We hypothesized that the relatively high resistance of MDA-MB-231 cells to MBIC is associated with p53 mutation. We investigated p53 and three of its downstream proteins: survivin, cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk1) and cyclin B1. Following treatment with MBIC, survivin co-immunoprecipitated with caspases with higher affinity in MDA-MB-231 compared to MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, silencing survivin caused a 4.5-fold increase in sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to MBIC (IC50 = 4.4 ± 0.3). In addition, 4 weeks of MBIC administration in MDA-MB-231 cells inoculated BALB/c nude mice resulted in 79.7% reduction of tumor volume compared to the untreated group with no severe sign of toxicity. Our results demonstrated MBIC has multiple anti-tumor actions and could be a potential drug in breast cancer therapy.
  19. Pandurangan AK, Ismail S, Esa NM, Munusamy MA
    Arch Med Sci, 2018 Oct;14(6):1281-1288.
    PMID: 30393482 DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2018.76935
    Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common, with a worldwide incidence estimated at more than 1 million cases annually. Therefore, the search for agents for CRC treatment is highly warranted. Inositol-6 phosphate (IP6) is enriched in rice bran and possesses many beneficial effects. In the present study the effect of IP6 on autophagy-mediated death by modulating the mTOR pathway in HT-29 colon cancer cells was studied.

    Material and methods: Autophagy was assessed by acridine orange (AO) staining, transmission electron microscopy, and western blotting to detect LC3-II and Beclin 1. Akt/mTOR signaling protein expression was also analyzed by western blotting. Apoptosis was analyzed by annexin V staining.

    Results: Incubation of cells with IP6 resulted in downregulation of the p-Akt at 3h. Along with that confocal microscopic analysis of p-AKT, IP6 administration resulted that a diminished expression of p-Akt. mTOR pathway regulates autophagy and incubation with IP6 to HT-29 cells showed decreased expression of p-70S6Kinase, 4-EBP-1 in a time-dependent manner. Inositol-6 phosphate (10 μg/ml, 24 and 48 h) induced autophagic vesicles, as confirmed by AO staining and transmission electron microscopy. We also found increased expression of LC3-II and Beclin 1 in a time-dependent manner after incubation with IP6. Furthermore, IP6 induced apoptosis, as revealed by annexin V staining.

    Conclusions: Our results clearly indicate that IP6 induces autophagy by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR pathway.

  20. Pandurangan AK, Mohebali N, Hasanpourghadi M, Esa NM
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2022 Mar;194(3):1091-1104.
    PMID: 35040047 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-021-03788-2
    Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a serious health condition and defined as inflammation in the colon. Untreated, UC can develop into colitis-associated cancer (CAC), for which effective medicines are not available. Natural products are a better choice to treat UC by alleviating the inflammation. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a phenolic compound and known for its beneficial effects, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anticancer. We aimed to study the effect of CAPE on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC in mouse model. Administration of CAPE to DSS-induced mice protected against colon damage by improving body weight of mice, reducing the weight of spleen, and increased colon length. In addition, administration of CAPE resulted reduced the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and CD68+ positive cells. Furthermore, a significant decrease in the production of key cytokines and the expression of nuclear factor (p65-NF)-κB. Moreover, p65-NF-κB activation was reduced in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells from mouse origin. CAPE treatment leads to the reduced expressions of intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM), both are key cell adhesion molecules. The results of this study clearly indicate that CAPE can potentially control inflammation in the colon and can be used as a therapy for UC.
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