Radiotherapy has long been considered as the mainstay of treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis may occur in some patients due to the radiation resistance of cancer cells. Autophagy plays a vital role in protecting cells against radiation. However, the mechanism of autophagy in radiation therapy remains obscure. In the present study, we demonstrated that suppression of autophagy related 5 (Atg5) aggravated ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in human NPC cells without accelerating the cell cycle, whereas regulation of the cell cycle has been widely regarded as the most important determinant of IR sensitivity. Further study showed that inhibition of autophagy suppressed the mRNA expression of Rad51, a key protein of homologous recombination that has been demonstrated to play a critical role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks induced by radiation. Moreover, suppression of Atg5 had no impact on the radiosensitivity when cells were pre-treated by the Rad51 inhibitor, and the enhanced radiosensitivity by Atg5 suppression was reversed by overexpression of Rad51 in human NPC cells. Our results suggest that inhibition of autophagy enhances the susceptibility of NPC cells to radiation by reducing Rad51 expression. Therefore, Rad51 targeted therapy may be investigated as a potential novel agent for the adjuvant treatment of traditional radiation of NPC.

/pdf/inhibition-of-autophagy-enhances-the-radiosensitivity-of-3k8cp2cbfu.pdf

Inhibition of autophagy enhances the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by reducing Rad51 expression.

The improvement of diagnostic techniques and the efficacy of new therapies in clinical practice have allowed cancer patients to reach a higher chance to be cured together with a better quality of life. However, tumors still represent the second leading cause of death worldwide. On the contrary, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) still lack treatment plans which take into account the biological features of tumors and depend on this for their response to treatment. Tumor cells’ response to RT is strictly-connected to their radiosensitivity, namely, their ability to resist and to overcome cell damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR). For this reason, radiobiological research is focusing on the ability of chemical compounds to radiosensitize cancer cells so to make them more responsive to IR. In recent years, the interests of researchers have been focused on natural compounds that show antitumoral effects with limited collateral issues. Moreover, nutraceuticals are easy to recover and are thus less expensive. On these bases, several scientific projects have aimed to test also their ability to induce tumor radiosensitization both in vitro and in vivo. The goal of this review is to describe what is known about the role of nutraceuticals in radiotherapy, their use and their potential application.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/21/5267/pdf

Nutraceutical Compounds as Sensitizers for Cancer Treatment in Radiation Therapy.

Conclusion: Autophagy was involved in the radiation treatment of CNE-2 cells, and blocked autophagy enhances the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2 in vitro. Objective: To determine whether autophagy induced by radiation therapy contributes to tumor cell death or represents a mechanism of resistance to therapy-mediated cell death. Methods: Autophagy in the CNE-2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells after radiation treatment was determined by quantitative GFP-LC3 analysis, electron microscopy, and autophagy-related molecules analysis by Western blotting. The contribution of autophagy to the cell viability was determined by MTT assay and clonogenic assay. Results: Autophagy was involved in CNE-2 cells post radiation treatment, and autophagy could ameliorate the cell viability post radiation. On the other hand, inhibition of autophagy could reduce cell viability and decrease the cell survival.

Blocked autophagy enhances radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2 in vitro.

Emodin: A metabolite that exhibits anti-neoplastic activities by modulating multiple oncogenic targets.

Although progress has been achieved in the pharmacological activity and toxicity of Radix Polygoni Multiflori (RPM), the chemical basis of its toxicity is still unclear. Here, we performed a multicompound pharmacokinetic analysis and investigated the tissue distribution and excretion characteristics of RPM components after oral administration in rats. The findings demonstrated that the active ingredients of the RPM extract were quickly absorbed after oral administration, with high exposure levels of emodin, 2,3,5,4′-teterahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG), citreorosein, torachrysone-8-O-glucoside (TG), emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside (EG), and physcion-8-O-β-D-glucoside (PG). The tissue distributions of emodin, TSG, TG, EG, and PG were high in the liver and kidney. These components were the key contributors to the effectiveness and toxicity of RPM on the liver and kidney. Most of the active ingredients were mainly excreted through feces and bile, while a few were converted into other products in the body and excreted through urine and feces.

Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Distribution, and Excretion Characteristics of a Radix Polygoni Multiflori Extract in Rats

Here, we report that regulation of cellular redox status is required for radiosensitization of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells by emodin. We evaluated emodin's radiosensitivity-enhancing ability by using NPC cells in vitro and xenografts in vivo. A clonogenic assay was performed to evaluate NPC cell survival and to determine dose modification factors. Flow cytometry, western blot analysis, and in vivo radiation-induced tumor regrowth delay assays were performed to characterize emodin's effects. Exposure of CNE-1 NPC cells to emodin enhanced their radiosensitivity. HIF-1α expression significantly increased under hypoxic conditions but did not change after treatment with emodin alone. Emodin downregulated mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α. Cells exposed to radiation and emodin underwent significant cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. The percentage of apoptotic cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were significantly higher in the group exposed to emodin and radiation hypoxic group than in the other groups. Compared to the CNE-1 xenografts exposed to radiation alone, CNE-1 xenografts exposed to radiation with emodin showed significantly enhanced radiation effects. Our data suggest that emodin effectively enhanced the radiosensitivity of CNE-1 cells in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism appears to involve ROS generation and ROS-mediated inhibition of HIF-1α expression.

/pdf/cellular-redox-status-regulates-emodin-induced-3hnrbpilbc.pdf

Li Li

Papers

Cellular Redox Status Regulates Emodin-Induced Radiosensitization of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo.