Ergosterol and its metabolites as agonists of Liver X receptor and their anticancer potential in colorectal cancer.

Aberrant cholesterol homeostasis is a well-recognized hallmark of cancer and is implicated in metastasis as well as chemotherapeutic resistance, the two major causes of cancer associated mortality. Liver X receptors (LXRs) are the key transcription factors that induce cholesterol efflux via enhancing the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of several novel sterols namely ergosta-7,22,24(28)-trien-3β-ol (Erg1), ergosta-5,22,25-trien-3-ol (Erg2), ergosta-5,7,22,24(28)-tetraen-3β-ol (Erg3), and ergosta-7,22-dien-3β-ol (Erg4) as LXR agonists has been performed.

Dietary n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids differentially modulate the adiponectin and leptinmediated major signaling pathways in visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue in high fat diet induced obesity in Wistar rats.

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease that involves excessive accumulation of fat in white adipose tissue (WAT). Apart from storing excess fats, WAT also serves as an important endocrine organ secreting adipocytokines such as adiponectin and leptin. Adiponectin and leptin bind to their transmembrane receptors adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1)/adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2) and Ob-R, respectively, and mediate their effect on metabolism by regulating multiple downstream targets.

Targeting fuel pocket of cancer cell metabolism: A focus on glutaminolysis.

Advances in cell metabolism over the past few decades have demonstrated glutamine as an essential nutrient for cancer cell survival and proliferation. Glutamine offers a remarkable capacity to fuel diverse metabolic pathways in cancer cells including the Krebs cycle, maintenance of redox homeostasis, and synthesis of cellular building blocks such as nucleic acids, fatty acids, glutathione, and other amino acids. The increase in glutaminolysis has further been linked to the accumulation of oncometabolites such as 2HG (2-Hydroxyglutarate), succinate, fumarate, etc.

Piperlongumine targets NF-κB and its downstream signaling pathways to suppress tumor growth and metastatic potential in experimental colon cancer.

NF-κB is the principle transcription factor and plays the central role in orchestrating chronic inflammation by regulating levels of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. Piperlongumine (PL), a major alkaloid in the fruit of Piper longum Linn. has gained worldwide attention for its anticancer properties, however, its mechanism of action in the chemoprevention of colon cancer has not been investigated yet.

Elucidation of underlying molecular mechanism of 5-Fluorouracil chemoresistance and its restoration using fish oil in experimental colon carcinoma.

Latest strategies for cancer treatment primarily focus on the use of chemosensitizers to enhance therapeutic outcome. N-3 PUFAs have emerged as the strongest candidate for the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). Our previous studies have demonstrated that fish oil (FO) rich in n-3 PUFAs not only increased therapeutic potential of 5-Fluorouracil(5-FU) in colon cancer but also ameliorated its toxicity.

Electrochemical biosensor for miRNA-21 based on gold-platinum bimetallic nanoparticles coated 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane.

We report an electrochemical biosensor based on gold platinum bimetallic nanoparticles (AuPtBNPs)/3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APTS) nanocomposite coated fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as a biosensing platform for hybridization-based detection of miRNA-21. Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and electrochemical measurements were carried out to ensure the successful construction of the biosensor. The amount of cDNA immobilized on electrode surface and hybridization time required for the miRNA-21 sensing were optimized.

Fish oil and corn oil induced differential effect on beiging of visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue in high-fat-diet-induced obesity.

Obesity is characterised by excessive accumulation of fat in white adipose tissue (WAT) which is compartmentalised into two anatomically and functionally diverse depots - visceral and subcutaneous. Advice to substitute essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for saturated fatty acids is a cornerstone of various obesity management strategies. Despite an array of reports on the role of essential PUFAs on obesity, there still exists a lacuna on their mode of action in distinct depots i.

An electrochemical aptasensor for analysis of MUC1 using gold platinum bimetallic nanoparticles deposited carboxylated graphene oxide.

A simple electrochemical strategy has been designed for the analysis of MUC1 using electrodeposited gold platinum bimetallic nanoparticles (Au-PtBNPs) on the surface of carboxylated graphene oxide (CGO)/FTO electrode as a signal amplification platform. The carboxylic groups of CGO were activated with EDS-NHS linker and subsequently immobilized with streptavidin for further deposition of biotin labelled aptamer. All the modification steps were characterized by FE-SEM, EDS mapping, FT-IR, contact angle measurements and electrochemical methods.

Clinical relevance of cholesterol homeostasis genes in colorectal cancer.

Accumulation of cholesterol is a well-known feature in cancer. Preclinical studies suggest the contribution of various cholesterol regulators in CRC. However, their clinical relevance remains poorly understood.

Role of cholesterol homeostasis and its efflux pathways in cancer progression.

Tumor cells show high avidity for cholesterol in order to support their inherent nature to divide and proliferate. This results in the rewiring of cholesterol homeostatic pathways by influencing not only de novo synthesis but also uptake or efflux pathways of cholesterol. Recent findings have pointed towards the importance of cholesterol efflux in tumor pathogenesis.

A voltammetric hybridization assay for microRNA-21 using carboxylated graphene oxide decorated with gold-platinum bimetallic nanoparticles.

An electrochemical hybridization assay is described for the determination of microRNA-21. Fluorine tin oxide (FTO) sheets were coated with carboxylated graphene oxide followed by deposition of gold-platinum bimetallic nanoparticles by using chronoamperometry at a potential of -0.2 V for 350 s.

Piperlongumine, a piper alkaloid targets Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling axis to inhibit tumor cell growth and proliferation in DMH/DSS induced experimental colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common carcinoma of the digestive tract. The slow growing nature of CRC offers a great opportunity for prevention strategies. The concept of chemoprevention of colorectal cancer using plant derived natural products is gaining substantial attention because it is an inherently safe and cost-effective alternative to conventional cancer therapies.

Differential ratios of fish/corn oil ameliorated the colon carcinoma in rat by altering intestinal intraepithelial CD8 T lymphocytes, dendritic cells population and modulating the intracellular cytokines.

Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) impart a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, yet their role in colon cancer pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we posited that the modulation of intestinal immune response via dietary interventions might be an implacable strategy in restraining colon carcinoma. In the above context, we studied the effect of differential ratios of fish oil (FO) and corn oil (CO) on the gut immune response in experimentally induced colon cancer.

Apoptosis mediated chemosensitization of tumor cells to 5-fluorouracil on supplementation of fish oil in experimental colon carcinoma.

5-Fluorouracil has been considered as a cornerstone therapy for colorectal cancer; however, it suffers from low therapeutic response rate and severe side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase the clinical efficacy of 5-fluorouracil. Recently, fish oil rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has been reported to chemosensitize tumor cells to anti-cancer drugs.

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in retinoblastoma tumors using mass spectrometry-based comparative proteomic approach.

Unlabelled: In India, retinoblastoma is among the top five childhood cancers. Children mostly present with extraocular extension and high risk features that results in unsatisfactory treatment and low survival rate. In addition, lack of potential therapeutic and prognostic targets is another challenge in the management of retinoblastoma.

Transglutaminase-2: evolution from pedestrian protein to a promising therapeutic target.

The ability of cancer cells to metastasize represents the most devastating feature of cancer. Currently, there are no specific biomarkers or therapeutic targets that can be used to predict the risk or to treat metastatic cancer. Many recent reports have demonstrated elevated expression of transglutaminase 2 (TG2) in multiple drug-resistant and metastatic cancer cells.

Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in vitreous humor of patients with retinoblastoma using iTRAQ-coupled ESI-MS/MS approach.

There is close proximity of vitreous humor with the tumor bulk in eyes with retinoblastoma. This renders vitreous humor a promising source to evaluate disease-specific protein targets in retinoblastoma. We studied the differential proteome of vitreous fluid in retinoblastoma tumors (n = 4) as compared to controls (n = 4).

Fish oil prevents colon cancer by modulation of structure and function of mitochondria.

Cancer cells are more susceptible to metabolic perturbations due to impaired electron transport chain (ETC) that promote uncontrolled proliferation. Mitochondria play a pivotal role in bioenergetics and apoptosis, hence are considered as a promising target in tumor cell eradication. Therefore, the present study is designed to elucidate chemopreventive action of fish oil (FO) in combination with corn oil (CO) on mitochondria in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Apoptosis-Mediated Chemoprevention by Different Ratios of Fish Oil in Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis.

Apoptosis plays an important role in prevention of colon cancer. In the present study, different ratios of fish oil and corn oil increased Fas expression in both phases and a decrease in FasL expression only in post initiation phase. Treatment with fish oil activated the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by increasing Bax expression and Cyt c release and decreasing Bcl-2 levels in both phases.

Fish oil augments celecoxib mediated alteration in apoptotic pathway in the initiation phase of 7,12-dimethylbenz(α)anthracene-induced mammary carcinogenesis.

Background: Resistance in apoptosis by disruption in signaling pathways is a common trait in malignancy. Celecoxib, a specific COX-2 inhibitor, has been reported to exert chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis. However, high doses or chronic usage of celecoxib for longer periods have various side effects.

Celecoxib and fish oil: a combination strategy for decreased inflammatory mediators in early stages of experimental mammary cancer.

Chronic inflammation has been directly linked to cancer progression. Therefore, current study was designed to understand the mechanism of action of chemo-preventive effect of celecoxib and fish oil on inflammatory mediators in experimental mammary carcinoma. Female Wistar rats were distributed into control and DMBA treated groups and further subdivided based on pretreatment with celecoxib and/or fish oil.

Documentation of Ultrastructural Changes in Nucleus and Microvilli by Fish Oil in Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis.

Fish oil (FO) exerts a chemopreventive effect by regulating apoptosis in colon carcinogenesis. The present study reports the ultrastructural changes in various organelles on supplementation of FO in experimental colon carcinogenesis. The carcinogen treatment led to abnormal nuclear shape and alteration in microvilli number indicating cancer establishment.