1.Evaluation of anticancer activity of marine microbial secondary metabolites based on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma organoid models and study on its induction of cancer cell apoptosis
Xiaoting FAN ; Zhifan MAO ; Jian LIU ; Fan YANG ; Houwen LIN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(6):280-288
Objective To investigate the anti-intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) activity and mechanism of 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (PQS), a secondary metabolite of polar marine microorganisms. Methods Patient-derived organoid (PDO) models were established using intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tumor tissues obtained from Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to assess the histomorphological characteristics of both patient ICC tissues and corresponding PDOs. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to evaluate CYP3a expression in patient ICC tissues and PDOs. The antiproliferative activity of PQS against stably passaged PDOs was determined using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-based bioluminescence assay, and dose-response curves were fitted to calculate the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for assessing the anti-ICC efficacy of PQS. In the human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma RBE cell model, the effects of PQS on RBE cell proliferation were evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay; colony formation capacity was assessed by the plate colony formation assay; cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry; and the protein expression levels of cyclin-dependent kinase 2(CDK2), CDK4, RelA(p65), and nuclear factor-κB1(p50) were detected by Western blotting. Results Two ICC PDO models were successfully established. Histomorphological observation revealed that the PDO tissues after serial passaging exhibited morphological features essentially consistent with the corresponding patient ICC tissues, both presenting as cystic vesicle-like structures. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that CYP3a was expressed in both PDO tissues and patient ICC tissues. ATP-based bioluminescence assay results indicated that PQS effectively suppressed ATP content in PDO tissues, with a fitted dose-response curve yielding an IC50 value of 2.49 µmol/L. In the RBE cell model, PQS inhibited RBE cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, and the fitted dose-response curve yielded an IC50 value of 1.05 µmol/L. Furthermore, PQS at concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 µmol/L significantly suppressed colony formation of RBE cells, arrested the cell cycle at the S phase, induced apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of proteins associated with the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusion ICC PDO models were successfully established, confirming the anti-ICC activity of PQS. PQS inhibited RBE cell proliferation, potentially via the NF-κB signaling pathway, by arresting the cell cycle at the S phase and inducing apoptosis of RBE cells
2.Evaluation of anticancer activity of marine microbial secondary metabolites based on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma organoid models and study on its induction of cancer cell apoptosis
Xiaoting FAN ; Zhifan MAO ; Jian LIU ; Fan YANG ; Houwen LIN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(6):280-288
Objective To investigate the anti-intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) activity and mechanism of 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (PQS), a secondary metabolite of polar marine microorganisms. Methods Patient-derived organoid (PDO) models were established using intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tumor tissues obtained from Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to assess the histomorphological characteristics of both patient ICC tissues and corresponding PDOs. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to evaluate CYP3a expression in patient ICC tissues and PDOs. The antiproliferative activity of PQS against stably passaged PDOs was determined using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-based bioluminescence assay, and dose-response curves were fitted to calculate the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for assessing the anti-ICC efficacy of PQS. In the human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma RBE cell model, the effects of PQS on RBE cell proliferation were evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay; colony formation capacity was assessed by the plate colony formation assay; cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry; and the protein expression levels of cyclin-dependent kinase 2(CDK2), CDK4, RelA(p65), and nuclear factor-κB1(p50) were detected by Western blotting. Results Two ICC PDO models were successfully established. Histomorphological observation revealed that the PDO tissues after serial passaging exhibited morphological features essentially consistent with the corresponding patient ICC tissues, both presenting as cystic vesicle-like structures. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that CYP3a was expressed in both PDO tissues and patient ICC tissues. ATP-based bioluminescence assay results indicated that PQS effectively suppressed ATP content in PDO tissues, with a fitted dose-response curve yielding an IC50 value of 2.49 µmol/L. In the RBE cell model, PQS inhibited RBE cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, and the fitted dose-response curve yielded an IC50 value of 1.05 µmol/L. Furthermore, PQS at concentrations of 1, 2, and 4 µmol/L significantly suppressed colony formation of RBE cells, arrested the cell cycle at the S phase, induced apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of proteins associated with the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusion ICC PDO models were successfully established, confirming the anti-ICC activity of PQS. PQS inhibited RBE cell proliferation, potentially via the NF-κB signaling pathway, by arresting the cell cycle at the S phase and inducing apoptosis of RBE cells
3.Anti-aging effects of chlorpropamide depend on mitochondrial complex-II and the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species.
Zhifan MAO ; Wenwen LIU ; Yunyuan HUANG ; Tianyue SUN ; Keting BAO ; Jiali FENG ; Alexey MOSKALEV ; Zelan HU ; Jian LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2022;12(2):665-677
Sulfonylureas are widely used oral anti-diabetic drugs. However, its long-term usage effects on patients' lifespan remain controversial, with no reports of influence on animal longevity. Hence, the anti-aging effects of chlorpropamide along with glimepiride, glibenclamide, and tolbutamide were studied with special emphasis on the interaction of chlorpropamide with mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ (mitoK-ATP) channels and mitochondrial complex II. Chlorpropamide delayed aging in Caenorhabditis elegans, human lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells and reduced doxorubicin-induced senescence in both MRC-5 cells and mice. In addition, the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels were significantly increased in chlorpropamide-treated worms, which is consistent with the function of its reported targets, mitoK-ATP channels. Increased levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) were observed in chlorpropamide-treated worms. Moreover, the lifespan extension by chlorpropamide required complex II and increased mtROS levels, indicating that chlorpropamide acts on complex II directly or indirectly via mitoK-ATP to increase the production of mtROS as a pro-longevity signal. This study provides mechanistic insight into the anti-aging effects of sulfonylureas in C. elegans.

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