Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We previously reported that HS-1200, a synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid derivative, has apoptosis-inducing activity in various human cancer cells. The present study was undertaken to examine whether HS-1200 had an anticancer effect on HepG2 (wild-type p53) and Hep3B (p53 deleted) human hepatoma cells. Treatment of both cells with HS-1200 resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis as measured by MTT assay, nuclear staining, DNA fragmentation and flow cytometry analysis. The increase in apoptosis was associated with the alteration in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax protein expression. In addition, flow cytometry analysis indicated that HS-1200 induced G1 phase arrest in both cells. When analyzing the expression of cell cycle-related proteins, we found that HS-1200 reduced the expression levels of cyclin D1, cyclin A, and Cdk2. HS-1200 treatment also caused an increase in the expression levels of p21 WAF1/CIP1 in HepG2 cells in a p53-dependent manner and in Hep3B cells in a p53-independent manner. Moreover, the expression level of p27 KIP1 was increased in both cell lines. We also observed that HS-1200 decreased the levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 mRNA and protein expression. Furthermore, HS-1200 treatment markedly induced the Egr-1 expression at an early time point, and the increased expression levels of p53, p21 WAF1/CIP1, p27 KIP1, and COX-2 after treatment with HS-1200 were completely inhibited in HepG2 cells and partially inhibited in Hep3B cells by silencing of Egr-1, respectively. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anticancer activity of the synthetic bile acid derivative, HS-1200, through Egr-1 regulation.
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PMID:A chenodeoxycholic derivative, HS-1200, induces apoptosis and cell cycle modulation via Egr-1 gene expression control on human hepatoma cells. 1855 81

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (pX) is implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis by an unknown mechanism. Deletions or mutations of genes involved in the p53 pathway are often associated with HBV-mediated HCC, indicating rescue from p53 apoptosis is a likely mechanism in HBV-HCC pathogenesis. Herein, we determined the mechanism by which pX sensitizes hepatocytes to p53-mediated apoptosis. Although it is well established that the Rb/E2F/ARF pathway stabilizes p53, and the DNA damage-activated ATM/ATR kinases activate p53, the mechanism that coordinates these two pathways has not been determined. We demonstrate that the p38MAPK pathway activated by pX serves this role in p53 apoptosis. Specifically, the activated p38MAPK pathway stabilizes p53 via E2F1-mediated ARF expression, and also activates the transcriptional function of p53 by activating ATR. Knockdown of p53, E2F1, ATR, or p38MAPKalpha abrogates pX-mediated apoptosis, demonstrating that E2F1, ATR, and p38MAPKalpha are all essential in p53 apoptosis in response to pX. Specifically, in response to pX expression, the p38MAPK pathway activates Cdk4 and Cdk2, leading to phosphorylation of Rb, release of E2F1, and transcription of ARF. The p38MAPK pathway also activates ATR, leading to phosphorylation of p53 on Ser-18 and Ser-23, transcription of pro-apoptotic genes Bax, Fas, and Noxa, and apoptosis. In conclusion, pX sensitizes hepatocytes to p53 apoptosis via activation of the p38MAPK pathway, which couples p53 stabilization and p53 activation, by E2F1 induction and ATR activation, respectively.
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PMID:Hepatitis B virus X protein via the p38MAPK pathway induces E2F1 release and ATR kinase activation mediating p53 apoptosis. 1860 16

Effective therapies for advanced stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yet to be developed. We investigated how far a combination of the HDAC inhibitor MS-275 and the CDK inhibitor CYC-202 synergizes to inhibit proliferation and promotes apoptosis of hepatoma cells in vitro. Human hepatoma cell lines Hep3B and HepG2 as well as primary human foreskin fibroblasts as non-malignant controls were cultured under standardized conditions and incubated with increasing concentrations of CYC-202 and MS-275 as single agents and in combination. After 24 to 72 h, apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (propidium iodide, JC-1) and by immunocytochemistry for cytokeratin 18 fragmentation. DNA synthesis was assessed using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Protein was separated for Western blotting against p21, bax and bcl-2 and fluorimetric activity assays against caspase 3 and 8. The results showed that the combination of CYC-202 and MS-275 leads to better pro-apoptotic effects than the employment of single substances. Apoptosis was induced via the mitochondrial pathway as evidenced by a shift in the bax/bcl-2 ratio and breakdown of mitochondrial transmembrane potentials. Caspase assays revealed a strong induction of caspase 3 but not of the extrinsic initiator caspase 8. In conclusion, combination therapy with the biomodulators MS-275 and CYC-202 is a promising treatment option for HCC.
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PMID:The histone-deacetylase inhibitor MS-275 and the CDK-inhibitor CYC-202 promote anti-tumor effects in hepatoma cell lines. 1894 29

We reported previously that oroxylin A, a natural product isolated from Scutellariae Radix, was a potent apoptosis inducer of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. In this study, cell-cycle arrest of BGC-823 human gastric carcinoma cells caused by oroxylin A has been investigated. Based on our 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometric analysis, treatment of BGC-823 cells with growth suppressive concentrations of oroxylin A caused an irreversible arrest in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Western blot analysis demonstrated that oroxylin A-induced cell-cycle arrest in BGC-823 cells was associated with a significant decrease in cdc2/p34, cyclin B1 and cyclin A expression. In addition, oroxylin A-treated cells decreased the expression of Cdk7, which was responsible for the low expression of M phase promoting factor (cyclin B1/Cdc2). The results suggested that oroxylin A induced G2/M phase cell-cycle arrest via inhibiting Cdk7-mediated expression of Cdc2/p34 in human gastric carcinoma BGC-823 cells.
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PMID:Oroxylin A induces G2/M phase cell-cycle arrest via inhibiting Cdk7-mediated expression of Cdc2/p34 in human gastric carcinoma BGC-823 cells. 1895 66

Phosphorylation of the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB is required for its transcriptional activity. Recent reports show that phosphorylation of p65 at serine 276 regulates only a subset of genes, such as those encoding IL-6, IL-8, Gro-beta, and ICAM-1. In order to identify additional genes regulated by serine 276 phosphorylation, HepG2 hepatoma cells were infected with adenoviruses encoding either wild-type p65 or the S276A mutant of p65, followed by DNA microarray analysis. The results show that mutation of serine 276 affected the expression of several genes that encode proteins involved in cell cycle regulation, signal transduction, transcription, and metabolism. Notably, expression of S276A increased the mRNA and protein level of p27, a cell cycle inhibitory protein, which led to an increased association of p27 with cdk2, and inhibition of cdk2 activity. Furthermore, while wild-type NF-kappaB is known to increase cell proliferation in a number of different cancer cell lines, our data shows that S276A inhibited cell proliferation. Evidence is mounting that NF-kappaB plays a pivotal role in oncogenesis. Therapeutic agents that regulate the phosphorylation of serine 276 and p27 gene expression, therefore, may be useful as anti-cancer agents in the future.
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PMID:Identification of genes, including the gene encoding p27Kip1, regulated by serine 276 phosphorylation of the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. 1903 92

Gnidimacrin (NSC252940) shows significant antiproliferating activity against human tumor cell lines. This compound binds to and directly activates protein kinase C (PKC). Human hepatoma HLE cells, which lose p53 function and retinoblastoma protein (Rb) expression, are resistant to gnidimacrin. However, PKC betaII gene-transfected HLE (HLE/PKC betaII) cells became sensitive to gnidimacrin, through which cdc2 inhibition and G(2)-phase arrest was caused. p21(WAF1/Cip1) induction and cdc2 reduction were observed and this reduction was abolished through the suppression of p21(WAF1/Cip1) induction by the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126. Translocation of E2F-4 to the nucleus was also observed in the cells but not in parental HLE cells. Consequently gnidimacrin inhibited cell growth through G(2)-phase arrest not only by the p21(WAF1/Cip1)-dependent suppression of cdc2 activity, but also by subsequent transcriptional suppression of cdc2 itself. In addition, involvement of E2F-4 in cdc2 suppression through a long-lasting induction of p21(WAF1/Cip1) by gnidimacrin is suggested in HLE/PKC betaII cells.
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PMID:G2-phase arrest through p21(WAF1 / Cip1) induction and cdc2 repression by gnidimacrin in human hepatoma HLE cells. 1941 86

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently includes abnormalities in cell cycle regulators, including up-regulated cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdks) activities due to loss or low expression of Cdk inhibitors. In this study, we show that xylocydine, a cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) specific inhibitor, is a good anti-cancer drug candidate for HCC treatment. Xylocydine (50muM) selectively down-regulates the activity of Cdk1 and Cdk2, accompanied by significant cell growth inhibition in HCC cells. Xylocydine also strongly inhibits the activity of Cdk7 and Cdk9, in vitro as well as in cell cultures, that is temporally associated with apoptotic cell death in xylocydine-induced HCC cells. This is associated with inhibition of phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II at serine residues 5 and 2, which are targets of Cdk7 and Cdk9, respectively. The effects on apoptosis are concomitant with changes in the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2, XIAP, and survivin, which are markedly down-regulated, and pro-apoptotic molecules, p53 and Bax, which are elevated in HCC cells after treatment with xylocydine. The up-regulated level of p53 was associated with increased stability of the protein, as levels of Ser15 and Ser392 phsophorylated p53 are similarly elevated in the inhibitor treated cells. We demonstrated that xylocydine can effectively suppress the growth of HCC xenografts in Balb/C-nude mice by preferentially inducing apoptosis in the xenografts, whereas the drug did not cause any apparent toxic effect on other tissues. Taken together, these data suggest that the novel Cdk inhibitor xylocydine is a good candidate for an anti-cancer drug for HCC therapy.
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PMID:Xylocydine, a novel Cdk inhibitor, is an effective inducer of apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. 1961 71

Proteasome inhibitors are potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of hepatocarcinoma and other liver diseases. The analysis of alternative protein phosphorylation states might contribute to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of proteasome inhibitor-induced apoptosis. We have investigated the response of mouse liver progenitor-29 (MLP-29) cells to MG132 using a combination of phosphoprotein affinity chromatography, DIGE, and nano LC-MS/MS. Thirteen unique deregulated phosphoproteins involved in chaperone activity, stress response, mRNA processing and cell cycle control were unambiguously identified. Alterations in NDRG1 and stathmin suggest new mechanisms associated to proteasome inhibitor-induced apoptosis in MLP-29 cells. Particularly, a transient modification of the phosphorylation state of Ser(16), Ser(25) and Ser(38), which are involved in the regulation of stathmin activity, was detected in three distinct isoforms upon proteasome inhibition. The parallel deregulation of calcium/calmodulin-activated protein kinase II, extracellular regulated kinase-1/2 and cyclin-dependent kinase-2, might explain the modified phosphorylation pattern of stathmin. Interestingly, stathmin phosphorylation profile was also modified in response to epoxomicin treatment, a more specific proteasome inhibitor. In summary, we report here data supporting that regulation of NDRG1 and stathmin by phosphorylation at specific Ser/Thr residues may participate in the cellular response induced by proteasome inhibitors.
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PMID:Regulation of stathmin phosphorylation in mouse liver progenitor-29 cells during proteasome inhibition. 1968 29

5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) are two serine/threonine protein kinases responsible for cellular energy homeostasis and translational control, respectively. Evidence suggests that these two kniases are potential targets for cancer chemotherapy against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Antroquinonol that is isolated from Antrodia camphorate, a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine for treatment of liver diseases, displayed effective anticancer activity against both HBV DNA-positive and -negative HCC cell lines. The rank order of potency against HCCs is HepG2>HepG2.2.15>Mahlavu>PLC/PRF/5>SK-Hep1>Hep3B. Antroquinonol completely abolished cell-cycle progression released from double-thymidine-block synchronization and caused a subsequent apoptosis. The data were supported by down-regulation and reduced nuclear translocation of G1-regulator proteins, including cyclin D1, cyclin E, Cdk4 and Cdk2. Further analysis showed that the mRNA expressions of the G1-regulator proteins were not modified by antroquinonol, indicating an inhibition of translational but not transcriptional levels. Antroquinonol induced the assembly of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-1/TSC2, leading to the blockade of cellular protein synthesis through inhibition of protein phosphorylation including mTOR (Ser(2448)), p70(S6K) (Thr(421)/Ser(424) and Thr(389)) and 4E-BP1 (Thr(37)/Thr(46) and Thr(70)). Furthermore, the AMPK activity was elevated by antroquinonol. Compound C, a selective AMPK inhibitor, significantly reversed antroquinonol-mediated effects suggesting the crucial role of AMPK. Besides, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and depletion of mitochondrial content indicated the mitochondrial stress caused by antroquinonol. In summary, the data suggest that antroquinonol displays anticancer activity against HCCs through AMPK activation and inhibition of mTOR translational pathway, leading to G1 arrest of the cell-cycle and subsequent cell apoptosis.
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PMID:Antroquinonol displays anticancer potential against human hepatocellular carcinoma cells: a crucial role of AMPK and mTOR pathways. 1972 12

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most frequent cause of cancer deaths in males and was the third most frequent cause of cancer deaths in 2007 throughout the world. The incidence rate is 2-3 times higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Animal models have enabled study of the mechanism of HCC and the development of possible strategies for treatment. Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is a representative chemical carcinogen with the potential to cause tumors in various organs, including the liver, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory system. Specifically in HCC, DEN is a complete carcinogen. Many lines of evidence have demonstrated a relationship between carcinogenesis and cell cycle regulation. In this study we found that cell cycle regulatory proteins were critically involved in cancer initiation and promotion by DEN. Cyclin D1, cyclin E, cdk4, and p21(CIP1/WAF1) are factors whose expression levels may be useful as criteria for the classification of hepatic disease. In particular, cdk4 had a pivotal role in the transition to the neoplastic stage. In conclusion, we suggest that changes in the level of cdk4 may be useful as a biomarker for detection of HCC.
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PMID:Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induces irreversible hepatocellular carcinogenesis through overexpression of G1/S-phase regulatory proteins in rat. 1982 96


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