Avicins are a class of natural saponins with selective pro-apoptotic activity in cancer cells. In this work, we studied the influence of avicins on metabolic state of rat liver mitochondria. Avicin-treated mitochondria underwent a significant decrease in oxygen consumption rate that was completely restored by addition of exogenous cytochrome c. On the other hand, avicins increased the rotenone-insensitive oxidation of external NADH in the presence of exogenous cytochrome c, long before high amplitude swelling of mitochondria was observed. The increase in external NADH oxidation was cyclosporin A-insensitive. Avicin G significantly accelerated hydroperoxide-induced oxidation of mitochondrial endogenous NAD(P)H, the drop of the inner membrane potential and the high amplitude swelling of mitochondria. The obtained data might explain selective induction of apoptosis in tumor cells by avicins. Based on other studies showing that tumor cells generate hydroperoxides with a very high rate, avicins could provide a new strategy of anticancer therapy by sensitizing cells with high levels of reactive oxygen species to apoptosis.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2006.08.008 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Post-COVID metabolic enzyme alterations in K18-hACE2 mice exacerbate alcohol-induced liver injury through transcriptional regulation.
Free Radic Biol Med
January 2025
Korea Mouse Phenotyping Center, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genomics, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Interdisciplinary Program for Bioinformatics, Program for Cancer Biology and BIO-MAX/N-Bio Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, poses serious global health risks, including the potential for secondary liver injury related to metabolic enzyme changes.
- This study explores how prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 affects alcohol-induced liver damage, using transgenic mice that express human ACE2.
- Results showed that infected mice experienced worsened liver injury after alcohol consumption, with alterations in metabolic enzymes and increased levels of a toxic alcohol byproduct, indicating a complex interaction between COVID-19 and alcohol effects on the liver.
The mutation of ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase, a key enzyme involved in gibberellin biosynthesis, confers a dwarf phenotype to cucumber.
Theor Appl Genet
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Street No.1, Nanjing, 210095, China.
A dwarf mutant with short branches (csdf) was identified from EMS-induced mutagenesis. Bulked segregant analysis sequencing and map-based cloning revealed CsKAO encoding ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase as the causal gene. Plant architecture is the primary target of artificial selection during domestication and improvement based on the determinate function for fruit yield.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotoinduced electron transfer enables cytochrome P450 enzyme-catalyzed reaction cycling.
Plant Physiol Biochem
December 2024
Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610213, China. Electronic address:
Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs), the members of the largest superfamily of enzymes in plant kingdom, catalyze a variety of functional group transformations involved in metabolite biosynthesis, end-product derivatization, and exogeneous molecule detoxification. Nevertheless, CYPs' functional characterization and practically industrial application have been largely encumbered by their critical dependency on the reducing equivalent for the catalytic cycling, driven by the tedious electron relay mediated by CYP reductase (CPR). Here, we report a photoinduced electron transfer system that initiates and sustains the CYP-catalyzed reaction cycling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentifying therapeutic target for prostate cancer: exploring Diosmetin as a CYP inhibitor.
Discov Oncol
December 2024
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Prostate cancer is a prevalent and highly heterogeneous malignancy that affects men globally. Despite the availability of various treatment targets, Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes have gained significant attention due to their crucial role in metabolizing both endogenous and exogenous compounds. This study explores Diosmetin as a potential CYP antagonist for treating prostate cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffects of the combination of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, Ligustrum lucidum Ait and Dexamethasone on asthmatic rats by endogenous glucocorticoid pathway.
J Ethnopharmacol
December 2024
School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China. Electronic address:
Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that kidney deficiency is the fundamental cause of chronic refractory asthma, accompanied by pathological changes such as airway remodeling and a reduction of endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) synthesis. The combination of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim (EB) and Ligustrum lucidum Ait (LL) is frequently used in TCM for kidney tonifying and the alleviation of asthma symptoms. This approach is based on Pei-Ben formula, a renowned treatment for asthma developed by the distinguished Shanghai Practitioner, Professor Huiguang Xu, over 30 years of clinical experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!