β-catenin-mediated signaling: A novel molecular target for chemoprevention with anti-inflammatory substances

Inflammation is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of cancer. Accumulating evidence from clinical and laboratory-based studies suggests that substances with anti-inflammatory activities are potential candidates for chemoprevention. Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology of cancer shed light on components of intracellular signaling cascades that can be potential molecular targets of chemoprevention with various anti-inflammatory substances. Although cyclooxygenase-2, a primary enzyme that mediates inflammatory responses, has been well recognized as a molecular target for chemoprevention by both synthetic and natural anti-inflammatory agents, the cellular signaling mechanisms that associate inflammation and cancer are not still clearly illustrated. Recent studies suggest that β-catenin-mediated signaling, which regulates developmental processes, may act as a potential link between inflammation and cancer. This review aims to focus on β-catenin-mediated signaling pathways, particularly in relation to its contribution to carcinogenesis, and the modulation of inappropriately activated β-catenin-mediated signaling by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chemopreventive phytochemicals possessing anti-inflammatory properties.     

beta-Catenin-mediated signaling: a novel molecular target for chemoprevention with anti-inflammatory substances

Inflammation is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of cancer. Accumulating evidence from clinical and laboratory-based studies suggests that substances with anti-inflammatory activities are potential candidates for chemoprevention. Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology of cancer shed light on components of intracellular signaling cascades that can be potential molecular targets of chemoprevention with various anti-inflammatory substances. Although cyclooxygenase-2, a primary enzyme that mediates inflammatory responses, has been well recognized as a molecular target for chemoprevention by both synthetic and natural anti-inflammatory agents, the cellular signaling mechanisms that associate inflammation and cancer are not still clearly illustrated. Recent studies suggest that beta-catenin-mediated signaling, which regulates developmental processes, may act as a potential link between inflammation and cancer. This review aims to focus on beta-catenin-mediated signaling pathways, particularly in relation to its contribution to carcinogenesis, and the modulation of inappropriately activated beta-catenin-mediated signaling by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chemopreventive phytochemicals possessing anti-inflammatory properties.     

Chemopreventive effects of diverse dietary phytochemicals against DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis via the induction of Nrf2-mediated cytoprotective antioxidant,detoxification, and DNA repair enzymes

Identifying agents that activate nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor-2 (Nrf2), a key regulator of various cytoprotective antioxidant, and detoxifying enzymes has evolved as a promising strategy for cancer chemoprevention. In the present study, we investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of structurally diverse phytochemicals- astaxanthin, blueberry, chlorophyllin, ellagic acid, and theaphenon-E on Nrf2 signaling, and xenobiotic-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis model. We observed that these phytochemicals induce nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 while downregulating its negative regulator, Keap-1. This was associated with reduced expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, the cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in the activation of DMBA, and the oxidative stress marker 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine coupled with upregulation of the phase II detoxification enzymes glutathione S-transferases and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 and the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. In addition, these dietary phytochemicals also enhanced the DNA repair enzymes 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1), xeroderma pigmentosum D (XPD), xeroderma pigmentosum G (XPG), and x-ray repair cross complementing group 1 (XRCC1). Our data provide substantial evidence that the dietary phytochemicals inhibit the development of HBP carcinomas through the activation of Nrf2/Keap-1 signaling and by upregulating cytoprotective enzymes. The extent of the chemopreventive effects of the phytochemicals was in the order: chlorophyllin > blueberry > ellagic acid > astaxanthin > theaphenon-E. Thus these dietary phytochemicals that function as potent activators of Nrf2 and its orchestrated response are novel candidates for cancer chemoprevention.     

Benzo[a]pyrene-induced cytochrome P450 1A and DNA binding in cultured trout hepatocytes - inhibition by plant polyphenols

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) mainly induce lung cancer in humans, but induce liver cancer in fishes. The chemoprevention of cancers through inhibition of molecular events via phytochemicals is a potentially beneficial area of research, and has been carried out in human cell cultures in the past. Carcinogenesis initiation events are thought to occur in similar ways in fish and humans. Our study investigated the feasibility of using cultured rainbow trout CRL-2301 liver cells as a model for BaP-induced carcinogenesis and its prevention by dietary phytochemicals. Treatment with 1 microM BaP resulted in extensive time-dependent covalent binding to cellular DNA and marked cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A induction, for both about a 20-fold increase, which is similar to what has been observed in cultured human cells. A surprisingly high expression of epoxide hydrolase (EH) activity in these cells likely contributed substantially to the bioactivation of BaP. Two methoxylated flavones and the stilbene resveratrol were effective inhibitors of both the BaP-DNA binding and CYP 1A induction, in particular 5,7-dimethoxyflavone (5,7-DMF), supporting a role for these dietary compounds as cancer chemopreventive agents. Unlike in human liver or bronchial cells, the main mechanism of inhibition of BaP-induced CYP 1A activity in trout liver cells appears to be direct competition at the protein level. Different cellular responses in any particular model used can be expected and the effect of cell context on the biological responses to xenobiotics, including carcinogens as well as polyphenols, must be considered. The trout CRL-2301 cells' sensitivity to BaP treatment is a clear advantage when contemplating a model system for studies of PAH-induced carcinogenesis and cancer chemoprevention. However, extrapolation to human organs should be done cautiously.