Reduction of oxidative stress and ornithine decarboxylase expression in a human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 by a combined treatment with α-tocopherol and naringenin.

Differentiation of a human aggressive PC-3 cancer cell line was obtained, in a previous investigation, by the synergic effect of α-tocopherol (α-TOC) and naringenin (NG). This combined treatment induced apoptosis and subsequent reduction of the PC-3 cell proliferation and invasion, by a pro-differentiating action. Since one of the peculiar characteristics of NG and α-TOC is their strong antioxidant activity, this study aimed to investigate their potential effect on the activity of the main enzymes involved in the antioxidant mechanism in prostate cancer cells.

Polyamine Oxidase Is Involved in Spermidine Reduction of Transglutaminase Type 2-Catalyzed H-Crystallins Polymerization in Calcium-Induced Experimental Cataract.

In an in vitro Ca-induced cataract model, the progression of opacification is paralleled by a rapid decrease of the endogenous levels of spermidine (SPD) and an increase of transglutaminase type 2 (TG2, EC 2.3.2.

Oral nutritional supplement prevents weight loss and reduces side effects in patients in advanced lung cancer chemotherapy.

Weight loss in patients with cancer is caused by cancer cachexia and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Recent developments in antiemetic drugs have substantially improved nausea and vomiting, but this intervention did not reduce weight loss and other more severe side effects of chemotherapy, like anorexia, weakness, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and pain. This study aimed to investigate the effects of nutrition intervention with a food supplement, during chemotherapy in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Evaluation of polyamines as marker of melanoma cell proliferation and differentiation by an improved high-performance liquid chromatographic method.

The differentiation therapy is focused on the identification of new agents able to impair the proliferative and metastatic potential of cancer cells through the induction of differentiation. Although several markers of cell differentiation on tumor cells have been identified, their causal relationship with neoplastic competence has not been characterized in sufficient detail to propose their use as new pharmacological targets useful for the design of new differentiation agents. Polyamine level in cancer cells and in body fluids was proposed as potential marker of cell proliferation and differentiation.

The Role of Tissue Transglutaminase in Cancer Cell Initiation, Survival and Progression.

Tissue transglutaminase (transglutaminase type 2; TG2) is the most ubiquitously expressed member of the transglutaminase family (EC 2.3.2.

Synthesis, oxidant properties, and antitumoral effects of a heteroleptic palladium(II) complex of curcumin on human prostate cancer cells.

A new ionic Pd(II) complex, [(bipy)Pd(Pcurc)][CF(3)SO(3)], 1, with the metal center coordinated to two different chelating ligands, the pure curcumin (Pcurc) and the 4,4'-dinonyl-2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), has been synthesized, fully characterized, and its antitumoral mechanism and oxidant property have been investigated. The Pd(II) complex induces both cell growth inhibition and apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells, (LnCaP, PC3, and DU145) through the production of ROS and JNK phosphorylation associated with GSTp1 down-regulation. ROS production induced by complex 1 treatment activated apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane depolarization in all prostate cancer cells, with up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 proteins.

Rhodanese-thioredoxin system and allyl sulfur compounds.

Sodium 2-propenyl thiosulfate, a water-soluble organo-sulfane sulfur compound isolated from garlic, induces apoptosis in a number of cancer cells. The molecular mechanism of action of sodium 2-propenyl thiosulfate has not been completely clarified. In this work we investigated, by in vivo and in vitro experiments, the effects of this compound on the expression and activity of rhodanese.

Pro-apoptotic activity of novel Isatin-Schiff base copper(II) complexes depends on oxidative stress induction and organelle-selective damage.

We characterized the pro-apoptotic activity of two new synthesized isatin-Schiff base copper(II) complexes, obtained from isatin and 1,3-diaminopropane or 2-(2-aminoethyl)pyridine: (Cu(isapn)) and (Cu(isaepy)(2)), respectively. We demonstrated that these compounds trigger apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. The early induction of the p53/p21 system indicates a role for p53 in cell death, however, experiments carried out with small interfering RNA against p53, or with cells lacking p53, support that a p53-independent mechanism can also occur.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase protects neuroblastoma cells from oxidative stress mediated by garlic derivatives.

In this study, we further examined the effects of diallyl disulfide (DADS), one of the major components of oil-soluble garlic extracts (GE) and of raw water GE on SH-SY5Y and NSC34 neuronal cell lines. Both treatments with DADS and GE were able to induce growth arrest and apoptosis, and we observed an increased flux of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species as early signs of cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that the content of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) increased as early as 1 h of treatment demonstrating to be a very early sensor of DADS and GE cytotoxicity.

Effects of water garlic extracts on cell cycle and viability of HepG2 hepatoma cells.

Garlic extracts, either aqueous or oily, are commonly employed to prepare garlic derivative supplements used as nutraceuticals for the treatment of different pathologies. In this study, we investigated the effects of water garlic extracts from two different areas of Italy well known for garlic production, Latina (GEL) and Sulmona (GES), on cell cycle and death of HepG2 hepatoma cells. The effects of the treatments with GEL and GES were also compared with the oil-soluble sulfur compound of garlic, diallyl disulfide (DADS).