Background: Phytochemicals possess a wide range of anti-tumor properties, including the modulation of autophagy and regulation of programmed cell death. Autophagy is a critical process in cellular homeostasis and its dysregulation is associated with several pathological conditions, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. In cancer, autophagy plays a dual role by either promoting tumor growth or suppressing it, depending on the cellular context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe overexpression of glutaminase is reported to influence cancer growth and metastasis through glutaminolysis. Upregulation of glutamine catabolism is recently recognized as a critical feature of cancer, and cancer cells are observed to reprogram glutamine metabolism to maintain its survival and proliferation. Special focus is given on the glutaminase isoform, GLS1 (kidney type glutaminase), as the other isoform GLS2 (Liver type glutaminase) acts as a tumour suppressor in some conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
February 2024
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
November 2022
Among the world's leading causes of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the arteries. Both vasodilation and vasoconstriction, low levels of nitric oxide and high levels of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory factors characterize dysfunctional blood vessels. Hypertension, and atherosclerosis, all start with this dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biomol Struct Dyn
March 2023
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, are new class of cancer chemotherapeutics used in clinical development. It plays a pivotal role in restoring the acetylation balance and lysine residual deacetylation in histone and non-histone proteins. Notably, HDAC inhibitors have been approved by FDA to treat different malignancies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobal influence of male infertility is increasing in recent decades. Proper understanding of genetics, anatomy, physiology and the intricate interrelation of male reproductive system are much needed for explaining the etiology of male infertility; and a detailed study on the epigenetics, indeed, will reveal the molecular mechanism behind its etiology. Sirtuins, the molecular sensors, are NAD dependent histone deacetylases and ADP- ribosyl transferases, participate in the chief events of epigenetics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Cancer Drug Targets
December 2020
Acid ceramidase (AC), the key enzyme of the ceramide metabolic pathway hydrolyzes pro-apoptotic ceramide to sphingosine, which by the action of sphingosine-1-kinase is metabolized to mitogenic sphingosine-1-phosphate. The intracellular level of AC determines ceramide/sphingosine-1-phosphate rheostat which in turn decides the cell fate. The upregulated AC expression during cancerous condition acts as a "double-edged sword" by converting pro-apoptotic ceramide to anti-apoptotic sphingosine-1-phosphate, wherein on one end, the level of ceramide is decreased and on the other end, the level of sphingosine-1-phosphate is increased, thus altogether aggravating the cancer progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSenescence and autophagy play important roles in homeostasis. Cellular senescence and autophagy commonly cause several degenerative processes, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, telomere shortening, and oncogenic stress; hence, both events are known to be interrelated. Autophagy is well known for its disruptive effect on human diseases, and it is currently proposed to have a direct effect on triggering senescence and quiescence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial-derived natural products from extreme niches such as deepsea are known to possess structural and functional novelty. With this background, the present study was designed to investigate the bioprospecting potential and systematics of a deep-sea derived piezotolerant bacterial strain NIOT-Ch-40, showing affiliation to the genus Streptomyces based on 16S RNA gene similarity. Preliminary screening for the presence of biosynthetic genes like polyketide synthase I, polyketide synthase II, non ribosomal peptide synthase, 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid synthase and spiroindimicin followed by antibacterial activity testing confirmed the presence of potent bioactivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sphingolipid ceramide is a pro apoptotic molecule of ceramide metabolic pathway and is hydrolyzed to proliferative metabolite, sphingosine 1 phosphate by the action of acid ceramidase. Being upregulated in the tumors of breast, acid ceramidase acts as a potential target for breast cancer therapy. We aimed at targeting this enzyme with a small molecule acid ceramidase inhibitor, Ceranib 2 in human breast cancer cell lines MCF 7 and MDA MB 231.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLysophosphatidic acid (LPA) protects chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells from apoptosis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) also protects CLL cells against apoptosis. The mechanism for LPA protection against apoptosis in CLL cells is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for the premature development of coronary heart disease and it has been shown to increase the incidence of myocardial ischemia and cardiac events. Pentacyclic triterpenes possess antiatherosclerotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects. To study the effect of plant derived triterpene, lupeol and its ester lupeol linoleate, on lipid status and biochemical changes on heart tissue, male albino Wistar rats were fed high-cholesterol diet (normal rat chow supplemented with 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid; HCD) for 30 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProstaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids
July 2006
Hypercholesterolemia, an independent risk factor for increased oxidative renal injury, is associated with the formation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein. Production of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species have been implicated in diet-induced hypercholesterolemia, principally as means of oxidising low-density lipoproteins. This in turn initiates the accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages, which sets key event in the initiation of atherosclerosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), dl-alpha-lipoic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoate-lipoate (EPA-LA) derivative on the atherogenic disturbances in hypercholesterolemic atherogenic animals. Eight groups of male Wistar rats were employed in this study, wherein four groups were fed with a high cholesterol diet (rat chow supplemented with 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid; HCD) for 30 days, among which, three groups of rats were also treated with either EPA (35 mg/kg body weight/day, oral gavage), LA (20 mg/kg body weight/day, oral gavage) or EPA-LA derivative (50 mg/kg body weight/day, oral gavage) commencing from 16th day of the experimental period. The remaining four groups served as control and EPA, LA and EPA-LA derivative treated drug controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpidemiological studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and the blood cholesterol level. To study the effect of plant derived triterpene, lupeol and its ester lupeol linoleate, on blood lipid status and oxidant stress in heart and hemolysate, male albino Wistar rats were fed high cholesterol diet (normal rat chow supplemented with 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid; HCD) for 30 days. A significant increase (p<0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in development of atherogenesis and cardiovascular disease. We explored the lipemic-oxidative injury in the hypercholesterolemic atherogenic animals. The effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), dl-alpha-lipoic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoate-lipoate derivative (EPA-LA) were tested for their efficacy in controlling the atherogenic disturbances.
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