Berberine-induced tumor suppressor p53 up-regulation gets involved in the regulatory network of MIR-23a in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim Of The Study: To investigate the involvement of p53 in the regulatory network of microRNA-23a (miR-23a) in berberine-treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

Methods: The biogenesis of miR-23a upon berberine treatment was monitored by detecting the transcript expression of primary precursor, precursor and mature forms of miR-23a. Protein expression was detected with immunoblotting.

Synthesis and anti-tumor activity evaluation of Matijin-Su derivatives.

A series of Matijin-Su (MTS, N-(N-benzoyl-l-phenylalanyl)-O-acetyl-l-phenylalanol) derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for their anti-tumor activities in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The IC50 of compounds 1, 3, 4, 11, 13 were less than 20μM, and compound 1 and 3 showed an IC50 value of less than 9μM. Expansion inhibition could be found significantly in compound 1 and 3-treated human hepatoma cell HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5, while both compounds exhibit lower toxicity to human hepatocyte cell line L-02.

MiR-23a-mediated inhibition of topoisomerase 1 expression potentiates cell response to etoposide in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: microRNAs have been shown to regulate the chemosensitivity of cancer cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the role and mechanism of mir-23a in enhancing the anti-tumor effect of topoisomerase 2A (TOP2A) poison etoposide in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The anti-tumor effect of chemotherapeutic agents in HCC cells were examined in vitro and in vivo xenograft model.

A novel mechanism of XIAP degradation induced by timosaponin AIII in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Inducing tumor cell death is one of the major therapeutic strategies in treating cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism underlying the involvement of autophagy in cell death induced by timosaponin AIII (TAIII). Cell viability was determined by MTT and cologenic assay; apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL assay; autophagy was examined by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence; ubiquitination was detected by co-immunoprecipitation; mRNA expression was detected by real-time PCR; and determination of necrotic cell death was approached with LDH assay.

Up-regulation of TIMP-1 by genipin inhibits MMP-2 activities and suppresses the metastatic potential of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim Of The Study: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most malignant human cancers with high metastatic potential. The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-metastatic effect of genipin and its underlying mechanism.

Experimental Approach: The anti-metastatic potential of genipin was evaluated by both cell and animal model.

Fangchinoline induces autophagic cell death via p53/sestrin2/AMPK signalling in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background And Purpose: Fangchinoline is a novel anti-tumour agent with little known of its cellular and molecular mechanisms of action. Here we have investigated the mode of cell death induced by fangchinoline and its underlying mechanism in two human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5.

Experimental Approach: Apoptosis and autophagy were monitored in fangchinoline-treated HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells by histological methods.

Chemical and biological analysis of active free and conjugated bile acids in animal bile using HPLC-ELSD and MTT methods.

The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition and in vitro cytotoxic activity of seven bile samples and bile acids using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) method. Free and conjugated bile acid standards were used to identify and quantify the chemical components of the seven animal bile samples. The MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of the animal bile samples and the free and conjugated bile acids on hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-L cells.

Up-regulation of microRNAs, miR21 and miR23a in human liver cancer cells treated with Coptidis rhizoma aqueous extract.

Coptidis rhizoma (CR; Huanglian in Chinese) has been used for the treatment of cancer in Chinese medicine, and recent studies have supported its use in cancer therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the pathophysiology of human cancers. We examined alterations in the miRNA profile of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells after treatment with Coptidis rhizoma aqueous extract (CRAE).

Berberine induces autophagic cell death and mitochondrial apoptosis in liver cancer cells: the cellular mechanism.

Extensive studies have revealed that berberine, a small molecule derived from Coptidis rhizoma (Huanglian in Chinese) and many other plants, has strong anti-tumor properties. To better understand berberine-induced cell death and its underlying mechanisms in cancer, we examined autophagy and apoptosis in the human hepatic carcinoma cell lines HepG2 and MHCC97-L. The results of this study indicate that berberine can induce both autophagy and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

[Effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde from processing of Rehmanniae Radix].

Objective: To study on effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-hydroxy methyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF) from Rehmanniae Radix at various processing.

Method: The Rehmanniae Radix was dried and prepared from the steaming process with 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol at 90 degrees C and 100 degrees C each other. And the changes of catalpol and 5-HMF was determinated.