Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a self-regulated physiological process required for tissue repair that, in non-controled conditions may lead to fibrosis, angiogenesis, loss of normal organ function or cancer. Although several molecular pathways involved in EMT regulation have been described, this process does not have any specific treatment. This article introduces a systematic review of effective natural plant compounds and their extract that modulates the pathological EMT or its deleterious effects, through acting on different cellular signal transduction pathways both in vivo and in vitro. Thereby, cryptotanshinone, resveratrol, oxymatrine, ligustrazine, osthole, codonolactone, betanin, tannic acid, gentiopicroside, curcumin, genistein, paeoniflorin, gambogic acid and Cinnamomum cassia extracts inhibit EMT acting on transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smads signaling pathways. Gedunin, carnosol, celastrol, black rice anthocyanins, Duchesnea indica, cordycepin and Celastrus orbiculatus extract downregulate vimectin, fibronectin and N-cadherin. Sulforaphane, luteolin, celastrol, curcumin, arctigenin inhibit β-catenin signaling pathways. Salvianolic acid-A and plumbagin block oxidative stress, while honokiol, gallic acid, piperlongumine, brusatol and paeoniflorin inhibit EMT transcription factors such as SNAIL, TWIST and ZEB. Plectranthoic acid, resveratrol, genistein, baicalin, polyphyllin I, cairicoside E, luteolin, berberine, nimbolide, curcumin, withaferin-A, jatrophone, ginsenoside-Rb1, honokiol, parthenolide, phoyunnanin-E, epicatechin-3-gallate, gigantol, eupatolide, baicalin and baicalein and nitidine chloride inhibit EMT acting on other signaling pathways (SIRT1, p38 MAPK, NFAT1, SMAD, IL-6, STAT3, AQP5, notch 1, PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, FAK/AKT, Hh). Despite the huge amount of preclinical data regarding EMT modulation by the natural compounds of plant, clinical translation is poor. Additionally, this review highlights some relevant examples of clinical trials using natural plant compounds to modulate EMT and its deleterious effects. Overall, this opens up new therapeutic alternatives in cancer, inflammatory and fibrosing diseases through the control of EMT process.

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Natural Plants Compounds as Modulators of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

Celastrus orbiculatus has been used as a folk medicine in China for the treatment of many diseases. In the laboratory, the ethyl acetate extract of Celastrus orbiculatus (COE) displays a wide range of anticancer functions. However, the inhibition of the metastasis mechanism of COE in gastric cancer cells has not been investigated so far. The present study was undertaken to determine if the anti-metastasis effect of COE was involved in inhibiting of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells. In vitro, a well-established experimental EMT model involving transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was applied. Viability, invasion and migration, protein and mRNA expression of tumor cells were analyzed by MTT assay, transwell assay, western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. The molecular targets of COE in SGC-7901 cells were investigated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometer. Overexpression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) was performed by transfected with the recombinant retroviral expression plasmid. In vivo, the anti-metastasis mechanisms of COE in the peritoneal gastric cancer xenograft model was explored and the effect was tested. The non-cytostatic concentrations of COE effectively inhibited TGF-β1 induced EMT process in SGC-7901 cells, which is characterized by prevented morphological changes, increased E-cadherin expression and decreased Vimentin, N-cadherin expression. Moreover, COE inhibited invasion and migration induced by TGF-β1. Using a comparative proteomics approach, four proteins were identified as differently expressed, with HSP27 protein being one of the most significantly down-regulated proteins induced by COE. Moreover, the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/Snail signaling pathway induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was also attenuated under the pretreatment of COE. Interestingly, overexpression of HSP27 significantly decreases the inhibitory effect of COE on EMT and the NF-κB/Snail pathway. Furthermore, COE significantly reduced the number of peritoneal metastatic nodules in the peritoneal gastric cancer xenograft model. Taken together, these results suggest that COE inhibits the EMT by suppressing the expression of HSP27, correlating with inhibition of NF-κB/Snail signal pathways in SGC-7901 cells. Based on these results, COE may be considered a novel anti-cancer agent for the treatment of metastasis in gastric cancer.

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Research on the efficacy of Celastrus Orbiculatus in suppressing TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting HSP27 and TNF-α-induced NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway in human gastric adenocarcinoma

Celastrus orbiculatus is used as a folk medicine in China for the treatment of numerous diseases. The ethyl acetate extract of Celastrus orbiculatus (COE) also displays a wide range of anti-cancer activities in the laboratory. However, the effectiveness of COE-induced autophagy and its mechanism of action in colorectal cancer cells have not been investigated thus far. The present study analyzed the effect of COE on HT-29 cell viability, apoptosis and autophagy using MTT assay, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy and western blotting. Additionally, the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine and the autophagy inducer rapamycin were used to further explore the effects of COE-induced autophagy in HT-29 cells. The present study also examined whether the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) signaling pathway was involved in the regulation of COE-induced autophagy. The results revealed that COE inhibited HT-29 cell proliferation and decreased cell survival in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and that COE possessed the ability to induce both apoptosis and autophagy in HT-29 cells. Furthermore, autophagy and apoptosis induced by COE synergized to inhibit colorectal cancer growth. In addition, COE treatment decreased the phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream effectors mTOR and p70S6K. Taken together, these results demonstrate that both autophagy and apoptosis were activated during COE treatment of HT-29 cells, and that COE-induced autophagy decreases the viability of HT-29 cells via a mechanism that may depend on the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Furthermore, compounds that induce autophagy administered in combination with COE may be an attractive strategy for enhancing the anti-tumor potency of COE in colorectal cancer.

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Celastrus orbiculatus extract triggers apoptosis and autophagy via PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition in human colorectal cancer cells

Traditional uses, secondary metabolites, and pharmacology of Celastrus species - a review.

Purpose: A meta-analysis was undertaken to examine the correlation between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) progression and serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-17 (IL-17) in AS patients. Methods: PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Library database, Ovid, Springer link, WANFANG, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) and VIP databases(last updated search in October, 2014) were exhaustively searched for published case-control studies using keywords related to IL-6, IL-17 and AS. The search results were screened using stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the data from selected high-quality studies was analyzed with Comprehensive Meta-analysis 2.0 software. Results: Thirteen case-control studies were selected for this meta-analysis and contained a pooled total of 514 AS patients and 358 healthy controls. Our main result revealed strikingly higher serum levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in AS patients, compared to healthy controls (IL-6: SMD = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.33~3.70, P = 0.01; IL-17: SMD = 3.05, 95% CI = 2.09~4.02, P < 0.001). Ethnicity-based subgroup analysis showed a statistically correlation of high IL-6 and IL-17 serum levels with AS both in Asian (IL-6: SMD = 3.15, 95% CI = 0.75~5.55, P < 0.001; IL-17: SMD = 3.30, 95% CI = 1.93~4.66, P < 0.001) and Caucasian populations (IL-6: SMD = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.33~2.35, P = 0.009; IL-17: SMD = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.06~3.98, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Meta-analysis of pooled data from thirteen high-quality studies revealed a strong correlation between elevated IL-6 and IL-17 serum levels and the development of AS. Therefore, IL-6 and IL-17 could be used as markers for diagnosis and assessment of treatment outcomes in AS patients.

Elevated serum levels of IL-6 and IL-17 may associate with the development of ankylosing spondylitis.

Celastrus orbiculatus extract induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

To understand the association of leptin and Th17 correlated cytokines with AS patients diseases activity,leptin,IL-17,TNF-α,IL-6 in synovial fluid and peripheral sera collected from 30 patients with AS and 30 healthy control were detected using sandwich ELISA and RIA methods.Results showed that the concentrations of leptin,IL-17,TNF-α,IL-6 were significantly higher in the synovial fluid and peripheral sera in AS patients than those in healthy control(P 0.01).There were obvious correlation between leptin and IL-17,IL-6 expression in the synovial fluid and peripheral sera in AS patients(P 0.01),and no correlation between leptin and TNF-α(P0.05).There were obvious correlation between the mean expression of leptin,IL-17,IL-6 and ESR,CRP,BASDAI in AS patients(P 0.01),and no correlation between TNF-α and the AS active index(P0.05).Leptin and Th17 correlated cytokines significantly increased in the synovial fluid and sera of AS patients.Leptin may play an important role in the development of AS inflammation.

Hisamits Tadashi

Papers

Celastrus orbiculatus extract induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

The effect of leptin on the Th17 correlated cytokine in ankylosing spondylitis