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Although amygdalin is used by many cancer patients as an antitumor agent, there is a lack of information on the efficacy and toxicity of this natural compound. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of amygdalin on the growth of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells was examined. Amygdalin (10 mg/ml) was applied to the RCC cell lines, Caki-1, KTC-26 and A498, for 24 h or 2 weeks. Untreated cells served as controls. Tumor cell growth and proliferation were determined using MTT and BrdU tests, and cell cycle phases were evaluated. Expression of the cell cycle activating proteins cdk1, cdk2, cdk4, cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin D1 and D3 as well as of the cell cycle inhibiting proteins p19 and p27 was examined by western blot analysis. Surface expression of the differentiation markers E- and N-cadherin was also investigated. Functional blockade by siRNA was used to determine the impact of several proteins on tumor cell growth. Amygdalin treatment caused a significant reduction in RCC cell growth and proliferation. This effect was correlated with a reduced percentage of G2/M-phase RCC cells and an increased percentage of cells in the G0/1-phase (Caki-1 and A498) or cell cycle arrest in the S-phase (KTC-26). Furthermore, amygdalin induced a marked decrease in cell cycle activating proteins, in particular cdk1 and cyclin B. Functional blocking of cdk1 and cyclin B resulted in significantly diminished tumor cell growth in all three RCC cell lines. Aside from its inhibitory effects on growth, amygdalin also modulated the differentiation markers, E- and N-cadherin. Hence, exposing RCC cells to amygdalin inhibited cell cycle progression and tumor cell growth by impairing cdk1 and cyclin B expression. Moreover, we noted that amygdalin affected differentiation markers. Thus, we suggest that amygdalin exerted RCC antitumor effects in vitro.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disorder involving hematopoietic stem cells, characterized by blockage of hematopoietic cell differentiation and an increase in clonal neoplastic proliferation. AML is associated with poor patient outcome. PBK/TOPK is a protein kinase derived from PDZ-binding kinase (PBK)/T-lymphokine-activated killer (T-LAK) cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK). Previous studies have shown that PBK/TOPK is expressed in hematologic tumors. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of PBK/TOPK in promyelocyte proliferation and to clarify the molecular mechanism. PBK/TOPK knockdown (KD) significantly decreased cell proliferation and viability in the NB4 and HL-60 promyelocytes. PBK/TOPK KD resulted in G2/M cell cycle arrest that attributed to a decrease in cdc2 and cyclin B expression. In addition, PBK/TOPK KD caused apoptosis, as evidenced by activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and an increase in TUNEL-positive cells. PBK/TOPK KD induced mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS generation, and inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS production suppressed PBK/TOPK KD-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, PBK/TOPK KD decreased Nrf2 expression and ARE-binding activity. Overexpression of Nrf2 inhibited the PBK/TOPK KD-induced decrease in cdc2 and cyclin B expression and cell cycle arrest, and blocked ROS production and apoptosis. Based on literature and our results, it was demonstrated that Nrf2 may be a crucial regulator that mediates PBK/TOPK-exerted promotion of cell proliferation. PBK/TOPK stabilizes Nrf2, strictly regulates the ROS level, promotes cell cycle progression and inhibits apoptosis, contributing to the proliferation of promyelocytes. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of PBK/TOPK-mediated promyelocyte proliferation and shed light on the pathogenesis of AML.

Despite the fact that paclitaxel and doxorubicin are widely used as chemotherapy agents against several types of cancer, their combined effects on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have never been fully elucidated. The present study was designed to investigate the biological effects of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in ESCC cells. Combination treatment with paclitaxel and doxorubicin significantly inhibited the proliferation of TE-12 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner compared to treatment with paclitaxel or doxorubicin alone. FACS analysis showed that the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase was significantly increased at 12 h after treatment with the combination. Increased p-cdc2, p-Wee1 and p53 protein levels were observed, while Akt activation was suppressed by combination treatment with paclitaxel and doxorubicin. In addition, treatment with paclitaxel plus doxorubicin significantly increased apoptosis as indicated by increased cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and cleaved caspase-7 and -9 levels. These results suggest that combination treatment with paclitaxel and doxorubicin induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human ESCC cells by suppressing Akt activity. These findings highlight the potent apoptotic effect of combination therapy with paclitaxel and doxorubicin in ESCC cells and the potential clinical benefits of these two drugs in esophageal cancer.

In the present study, in order to investigate the anticancer effects of O-desmethylangolensin (O-DMA) on human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B cells, we first examined the antiproliferative effect of O-DMA. When Hep3B cells were treated with O-DMA at various concentrations (5-200 µM) for 24, 48 or 72 h, cell proliferation decreased significantly in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, O-DMA exposure at the IC50 concentration for 72 h arrested cells at the G2/M phase, which was accompanied by a reduction in CDK1, and an increase in cyclin A and B. Under the same conditions, O-DMA significantly increased the number of sub-G1 phase cells. Additionally, an Annexin V assay revealed that exposure to O-DMA affected the rate of cell apoptosis. O-DMA caused the downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax, which led to cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and activation of caspase-3. Taken together, these data suggest that O-DMA exhibits anticancer activity by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase and causing mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in Hep3B cells.

Radioresistance is responsible for treatment failure after radiotherapy in localized prostate cancer, while prostate cancer stem cells promote radioresistance by preferential activation of the DNA damage response. Chk1 inhibition has been shown to sensitize many tumor cells to radiation. However, whether Chk1 inhibition can potentiate the cytotoxic effects of radiation on prostate cancer stem cells remains to be elucidated. In this study, CD133+CD44+ cells were isolated using microbeads and were found to possess cancer stem cell properties. Using shRNA, Chk1 was knocked down in the sorted CD133+CD44+ cells. Our results demonstrated that Chk1 knockdown abrogated the radiation-induced G2/M arrest, inhibited DNA damage repair and promoted premature mitosis, leading to increased apoptosis in the radiated sorted CD133+CD44+ cells. Moreover, these effects were accompanied by caspase-2 activation and the inactivation of phosphorylated Cdc25C and Cdc2. Our results suggest that Chk1 knockdown increases the radiosensitivity of CD133+CD44+ prostate cancer stem cells. Chk1 knockdown in prostate cancer stem cells may be an effective therapeutic strategy against prostate cancer.

Genistein, 5,7,4'-trihydroxylisoflavone, a major component of soybean products, has been reported to possess anticancer activities. We examined the antitumor effects of 7-difluoromethoxyl-5,4'-di-n-octylgenistein (DFOG), a novel synthetic genistein derivative, on human ovarian cancer cells as well as the molecular mechanism. The growth-inhibitory effects of genistein and DFOG were determined using MTT assay and clonogenic assay in CoC1 and SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cells. Apoptotic activities of DFOG were observed using histone/DNA ELISA assay and flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI) staining. Multiple molecular techniques, such as RT-PCR, western blot analysis, siRNA and cDNA transfection were used to explore the molecular mechanism. We demonstrated that nine of the genistein derivatives had a more effective antitumor activity than genistein. Among the afore-mentioned derivatives, DFOG presented with the strongest activity against CoC1 and SKOV3 cells in vitro. DFOG and genistein inhibited the growth of CoC1 and SKOV3 cells, accompanied by cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. DFOG caused apoptotic cell death with concomitant attenuation of Forkhead box protein M1 (FoxM1) and its downstream genes, such as survivin, cdc25B, cyclin B, and increased p27KIP1. Downregulation of FoxM1 by siRNA followed by DFOG treatment resulted in enhanced cell growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis. Upregulation of FoxM1 by cDNA transfection attenuated DFOG-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptotic cell death. Our results show that the molecular role of FoxM1 in mediating the biological effects of DFOG and genistein in human ovarian cancer cells suggests that FoxM1 could be a novel target for the treatment of human ovarian cancer.

The aim of this study was to examine the expression of CD44v6, CD54, Cdx2, CXCL5, Cyclin B1, MMP-7, nm23, RCAS1 and Survivin in primary gastric cancer and to investigate whether these molecules were useful in predicting the lymph node status. They were selected as candidates for indicators of lymph node metastasis from various kinds of cancer-associated genes reported previously. In 135 cases of radically resected primary gastric adenocarcinoma, we investigated the association between the expression of these molecules and clinocopathologic factors by immunohistochemistry. The results revealed that the expression of CD44v6 and MMP-7 were significantly associated with lymph node status. By contrast, nuclear Cdx2 expression was found to be inversely correlated with lymph node metastasis. Moreover, multivariate analysis demonstrated that CD44v6, MMP-7 and nuclear Cdx2 were independent predictors for lymph node status. In conclusion, our results suggest that positive expression of both CD44v6 and MMP-7, and negative expression of nuclear Cdx2 may serve as powerful predictors of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer. Combined evaluation of these markers could be further useful to predict lymph node status clinically.

In mammalian cells, the H2AX histone is rapidly phosphorylated upon the induction of DNA double strand breaks and promotes their repair, which is required for preserving genomic integrity. Etoposide is an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II, which causes DNA breaks and induces H2AX phosphorylation. To elucidate whether H2AX may affect cellular sensitivity to etoposide, we studied the response to this agent in immortalized embryonic fibroblasts derived from H2AX knockout mice. Clonogenic assays in cells treated with the drug revealed a greater sensitivity of H2AX null cells compared to wild-type cells, possibly due to the persistence of a higher number of DNA breaks, as detected with the comet assay. In both cell lines, etoposide induced micronuclei formation and nuclear fragmentation; however, in H2AX deficient cells nuclear fragmentation was observed at a lower drug concentration. Flow cytometric analysis showed that etoposide induced a G2/M cell cycle arrest in both cell lines, which occurred at lower drug concentrations in H2AX deficient cells. G2/M arrest was paralleled by an accumulation of cyclin A and cyclin B1, suggesting that treated cells are not able to complete cell cycle correctly and undergo cell death. Taken together, our observations suggest that H2AX takes part to the cellular response to etoposide and confirm its role in the maintenance of genome stability.

Suppression of Cdc2 activity is essential for DNA damage-induced G2 arrest. In the present study, we elucidated regulatory mechanism of Cdc2 activity during radiation-induced transient G2 arrest. Exposure of the cells to gamma-radiation (4 Gy) led to a transient increase of cells in G2 at 12 h rather than M phase and then the cells resumed cell cycle progression from the G2 arrest. However, the levels of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 activity were increased in the whole cell extracts at 12 h. Despite cyclin B1 induction and increased level of Cdc2 activity after irradiation the activities in the nuclear fractions were transiently decreased at 12 h and returned to control levels by 24-48 h, demonstrating transient inhibition of nuclear translocation of cyclin B1 in response to radiation. Moreover, inhibitory phosphorylation of the Cdc2 on Tyr15 and the Cdc25C on Ser216 were increased concomitant with transient G2 arrest. The level of phosphorylated Wee1 and its activity were also markedly increased at 12 h after irradiation. In addition, radiation caused nuclear accumulation of p21(CIP1/WAF1) at 12 h, resulting in increased-binding of p21(CIP1/WAF1) to Cdc2. Nuclear p21(CIP1/WAF1) protein level and its binding to Cdc2 gradually returned to control level when the cells resumed cell cycle progression. However, total protein level of p21(CIP1/WAF1) continued to increase until 48 h after irradiation. Collectively, these results indicate that the suppression of nuclear import of cyclin B1, the induction of Wee1 kinase activity, and the transient nuclear accumulation of p21(CIP1/WAF1) may play important roles in the transient cell cycle delay in response to ionizing radiation.

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees (Apis mellifera) from various tree buds which they then use to coat hive parts and to seal cracks and crevices in the hive. Propolis, a known ancient folk medicine, has been extensively used in diet to improve health and to prevent disease. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of ethanolic extracts of Brazilian propolis group l2 and bud resins of botanical origin (B. dracunculifolia), and propolis group 3 on proliferation of metastasis (DU145 and PC-3) and primary malignant tumor (RC58T/h/SA#4)-derived human prostate cancer cells. The strongest inhibition was observed in propolis group 3 (sample #3) extracts whereas moderate growth inhibition was observed in human prostate epithelial cells. In the RC58T/h/SA#4 cells, resins of botanical origin of propolis group 12 (sample #1) and propolis group 12 (sample #2) induced growth inhibition that was associated with S phase arrest whereas propolis group 3 (sample #3) induced growth inhibition that was associated with G2 arrest. The mechanisms of cell cycle effects of propolis were investigated. The resins of botanical origin of propolis group 12 and propolis group 12 showed similar inhibition of cyclin D1, CDK4 and cyclin B1 expression. Propolis group 3 showed higher induction of p21 expression but no inhibition of cyclin D1, CDK4 and cyclin B1 expression. The results obtained here demonstrate that the Brazilian propolis extracts have significant inhibitory effect on proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. Inhibition was achieved through regulation of protein expression of cyclin D1, B1 and cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) as well as p21. Our results indicate that the Brazilian propolis extracts show promise as chemotherapeutic agents as well as preventive agents against prostate cancer.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most frequent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the Western world; it is characterized by marked genetic, morphological and clinical heterogeneity. The identification of prognostic markers could help to develop risk-adapted treatment strategies. As proliferation of cells is essential for tumour growth, analysis of the cell cycle and its individual phases might give additional information on tumour progression and clinical behaviour. To investigate the prognostic value of proteins specifically related to the cell cycle phases S, G2 and M in DLBCL, the expression of cyclin A as a marker of S phase and cyclin B1 as a G2/M phase marker were analysed in combination with other clinicopathological parameters in a large cohort of patients. Expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin A were determined by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray methodology. Immunoreactivity for cyclin B1 and cyclin A was correlated with clinical data using a two-sided Fisher's exact test. Impact on overall survival was analysed by the Kaplan-Meier method. A negative prognostic impact was found for expression of cyclin B1. Nuclear and/or cytoplasmic staining in > or = 1% of tumour cells was significantly associated with shorter overall survival in the multivariate analysis (p=0.008). Furthermore, the prognostic impact of cyclin B1 expression was independent of the tumour stage. No prognostic significance was found for expression of cyclin A. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the independent prognostic value of an expression of cyclin B1 in DLBCL and proposes its evaluation as a prognostic marker in the assessment of this entity which is easily applicable in daily routine practice.

We examined human papillomavirus (HPV) typing and the status of ATM, chk2, CDC25C, cdc2 and cyclinB1 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cancer (IC). A total of 93 samples [normal: 10; CIN: 34 (CINI:9, CINII:12, CINIII:13); IC: 49 (stage I:10, stage II:21, stage III:15, stage IV:3)] were included in this study. HPV status was evaluated by the PCR non-radioactive HPV detection system. We analyzed ATM, chk2, CDC25C, cdc2 and cyclinB1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. HPV DNA was detected in 73.5% of 34 CINs and 89.8% of 49 ICs. Detection of HPV subtypes 16 and 18 was more frequent in ICs (46.9%) than in CINs (23.5%) (p=0.0387). Abnormal expression of ATM, chk2, CDC25C, cdc2 and cyclinB1 were 2.9%, 32.4%, 2.9% 20.6% and 0% in CINs and 8.2%, 30.6%, 10.2%, 46.9% and 12.2% in ICs. The alteration of cdc2 was higher in ICs than in CINs (p=0.0198). Altered expression of cdc2 was higher in HPV16 and 18 cases (69.6%) than in other cases (26.9%) (p=0.0042). However, the relationship between HPV typing and ATM, chk2, CDC25C and cyclinB1 expression was not significant. Cdc2 is implicated in cervical carcinogenesis and may be related to p53 inactivation by HPV.

The expression and significance of p57KIP2, an important inhibitor of the cell cycle, remain unclear during carcinogenesis and during late metastasis to lymph nodes of tumors. To detail changes of p57KIP2 during colorectal carcinogenesis and during late metastasis to lymph nodes, p57KIP2, cyclin A, cyclin B1, cyclin E, CDK2, and Ki67 were immunohistochemically investigated in 22 specimens of normal mucosa, 62 of adenomas, 17 of carcinomas in adenomas, 189 of primary carcinomas, and 23 of lymph node metastases. Situated in nuclei, p57KIP2 expression increased significantly from normal mucosa to adenomas (p=0.0068), from mild through moderate to severe dysplasia in adenomas (p=0.0132). It significantly decreased from adenomas to unpaired primary carcinomas (p=0.0112) and from peripheral adenomas to paired central carcinomas (p=0.0018), but remained unchanged when primary carcinomas metastasized to lymph nodes (p=0.3401). p57KIP2 expression was not correlated with clinicopathological indices, but the patients having tumors without p57KIP2 tended to show a poor prognosis (p=0.0674). High p57KIP2 was significantly correlated with increased cyclin A (p=0.0007), elevated cyclin B1 (p=0.0007), reduced CDK2 (p=0.0021), and increased Ki67 (p=0.0013) in adenomas. Thus, loss of p57KIP2 expression appears associated with colorectal carcinogenesis.

Chlorophyllin (CHL) is the sodium-copper salts of chlorophyll derivatives. In this study, the CHL was derived from a traditional Chinese medicine, the Bombyx mori excreta. The CHL, at concentrations 25-400 microg/ml, reduced the proliferation of HL-60, K-562, S-180, and MCF-7 cells by 8.2-95.7% after 72 h of incubation. The CHL also accumulated G2/M cells and induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the breast carcinoma cells exhibited lower cyclin D1 and cyclin E levels but higher cyclin B1 level after incubation with the CHL showing that these cyclin changes may be important for the antiproliferative effect of the CHL.

Cyclin B1 plays an important role in the mitotic cycle, in which it regulates the G2-M transition, and has been suggested to play a role in development and progression of various cancers. The present study was undertaken in order to clarify the role of the cell cycle regulator cyclin B1 in non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC). We retrospectively investigated 174 patients with NSCLC who previously underwent complete resection. There were two study groups: the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) group (n=62); and the non-SCC group (n=112). Expression of cyclin B1 in cancer cells was analyzed immunohistochemically. The rate of cyclin B1 positivity in cancer cells ranged from 0% to 56.5% (average 10.9%). Seventy-four cases (42.5%) were designated as cyclin B1 positive in the present study. Cyclin B1 expression was observed more frequently in SCC cases than in non-SCC cases. In SCC, cyclin B1 expression demonstrated significant correlation with gender (p<0.01) and histological type (p<0.01). In non-SCC, only gender was correlated with cyclin B1 expression. Five-year survival rates for cyclin B1-positive and cyclin B1-negative cases were 45.8 and 57.9%, and 10-year survival rates were 39.3 and 51.4%, respectively. Patients with positive cyclin B1 staining showed a lower survival rate than those with negative staining (p=0.11). The prognostic value in SCC cases was p=0.48. In non-SCC cases, the survival rate of non-SCC patients who were positive for cyclin B1 was significantly lower than that of patients who were negative (p<0.01). Using multivariate analysis, tumor size (p=0.037) and N factor (p=0.026) were found to be independent prognostic parameters. Cyclin B1 expression was not an independent prognostic factor in the present series. These data suggest that elevated levels of cyclin B1 expression may be an indicator of poor prognosis in NSCLC, particularly in non-SCC.

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound produced by a number of plants and found in high amount in peanuts, seeds, grapes or berries as source of human nutrition. Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that resveratrol may act as a cancer chemopreventive compound. The mechanism by which resveratrol inhibits cell proliferation was studied in human colorectal tumor SW480 cell line. The results show that resveratrol strongly inhibits cell proliferation at the micromolar range in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol appears to block the cell cycle at the transition --> G2/M since inhibition of [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation is not observed, while there is an increase of the cell number in S phase. During this inhibition process, resveratrol increases the content of cyclins A and B1 as well as cyclin-dependent kinases Cdk1 and Cdk2. Moreover, resveratrol promotes Cdk1 phosphorylation. In conclusion, resveratrol exerts a strong inhibition of SW480 human colorectal tumor cell proliferation at least by modulating cyclin and cyclin-dependent kinase activities.

MCF-7 breast cancer cells increase their rate of proliferation, as indicated by incorporation of tritiated thymidine into DNA, when exposed to estrogen. In confirmation of other studies, 10 nM 17beta-estradiol (E2) increased proliferation by 2.8-fold after 6 days of exposure. As indicated by trypan blue exclusion and TUNEL assays, cell survival was increased and apoptosis decreased by the presence of E2. The estradiol metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) when present in the culture medium in concentrations greater than 1 microM for three days, dose-dependently reduced the effectiveness of E2 on cell proliferation by increasing the rate of apoptosis. To examine a mechanism for the increase in apoptosis, expression of p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 protein levels were monitored by examination of immunoblots of their proteins. E2 increased p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 protein levels significantly after 6 days of exposure. This effect was inhibited significantly by the presence of 2-ME. The results indicate that up-regulation of p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 is closely associated with increased survivability and lack of apoptosis in estrogen-induced proliferation of MCF-7 cells. Further, anti-estrogenic effects of 2-ME in these cells can be accounted for by its activation of apoptotic functions, which are correlated with reductions in expression of p34cdc2 and cyclin B1 genes.

Genistein is an isoflavone known to inhibit both tyrosine protein kinase and DNA topoisomerase II. We have investigated the mechanism of genistein-induced growth inhibition in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell lines. DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that genistein induced a G2/M arrest in both cell lines. Therefore, we examined the effect of genistein on cell cycle-related proteins. Western blot analysis using whole cell lysates from MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 treated with genistein demonstrated that genistein treatment did not change the steady-state level of cdks, cyclin A, D-type cyclins and cyclin E protein, but inhibited expression of cyclin B1 protein in a time-dependent manner. The reduction in the protein level of cyclin B1 correlated with a decrease in the level of cyclin B1 mRNA. Genistein induced expression of p21, and the increased levels of p21 were associated with increased binding of p21 with cdc2 and cdk2. These observations suggest that genistein induces a G2/M arrest in human breast cancer cells, the mechanism of which is in part due to inhibition of kinase activities of cdc2 and cdk2, and decrease in cyclin B1 expression.