Methyl gallate (MG), which is a gallotannin widely found in plants, is a polyphenol used in traditional Chinese phytotherapy to alleviate several cancer symptoms. Our studies provided evidence that MG is capable of reducing the viability of HCT116 colon cancer cells, while it was found to be ineffective on differentiated Caco-2 cells, which is a model of polarized colon cells. In the first phase of treatment, MG promoted both early ROS generation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, sustained by elevated PERK, Grp78 and CHOP expression levels, as well as an upregulation in intracellular calcium content. Such events were accompanied by an autophagic process (16–24 h), where prolonging the time (48 h) of MG exposure led to cellular homeostasis collapse and apoptotic cell death with DNA fragmentation and p53 and H2Ax activation. Our data demonstrated that a crucial role in the MG-induced mechanism is played by p53. Its level, which increased precociously (4 h) in MG-treated cells, was tightly intertwined with oxidative injury. Indeed, the addition of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is a ROS scavenger, counteracted the p53 increase, as well as the MG effect on cell viability. Moreover, MG promoted p53 accumulation into the nucleus and its inhibition by pifithrin- (PFT- ), which is a negative modulator of p53 transcriptional activity, enhanced autophagy, increased the LC3-II level and inhibited apoptotic cell death. These findings provide new clues to the potential action of MG as a possible anti-tumor phytomolecule for colon cancer treatment.

Antonietta Notaro, Marianna Lauricella, Diana Di Liberto, Sonia Emanuele, Michela Giuliano, Alessandro Attanzio, et al. (2023). A Deadly Liaison between Oxidative Injury and p53 Drives Methyl-Gallate-Induced Autophagy and Apoptosis in HCT116 Colon Cancer Cells. ANTIOXIDANTS, 12(6) [10.3390/antiox12061292].

A Deadly Liaison between Oxidative Injury and p53 Drives Methyl-Gallate-Induced Autophagy and Apoptosis in HCT116 Colon Cancer Cells

Antonietta Notaro
Methodology
;
Marianna Lauricella
Investigation
;
Diana Di Liberto
Methodology
;
Sonia Emanuele
Investigation
;
Michela Giuliano
Data Curation
;
Alessandro Attanzio
Methodology
;
Luisa Tesoriere
Formal Analysis
;
Daniela Carlisi
Software
;
Mario Allegra
Formal Analysis
;
Anna De Blasio
Visualization
;
Giuseppe Calvaruso
Resources
;
Antonella D'Anneo
Writing – Review & Editing
2023-06-16

Abstract

Methyl gallate (MG), which is a gallotannin widely found in plants, is a polyphenol used in traditional Chinese phytotherapy to alleviate several cancer symptoms. Our studies provided evidence that MG is capable of reducing the viability of HCT116 colon cancer cells, while it was found to be ineffective on differentiated Caco-2 cells, which is a model of polarized colon cells. In the first phase of treatment, MG promoted both early ROS generation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, sustained by elevated PERK, Grp78 and CHOP expression levels, as well as an upregulation in intracellular calcium content. Such events were accompanied by an autophagic process (16–24 h), where prolonging the time (48 h) of MG exposure led to cellular homeostasis collapse and apoptotic cell death with DNA fragmentation and p53 and H2Ax activation. Our data demonstrated that a crucial role in the MG-induced mechanism is played by p53. Its level, which increased precociously (4 h) in MG-treated cells, was tightly intertwined with oxidative injury. Indeed, the addition of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is a ROS scavenger, counteracted the p53 increase, as well as the MG effect on cell viability. Moreover, MG promoted p53 accumulation into the nucleus and its inhibition by pifithrin- (PFT- ), which is a negative modulator of p53 transcriptional activity, enhanced autophagy, increased the LC3-II level and inhibited apoptotic cell death. These findings provide new clues to the potential action of MG as a possible anti-tumor phytomolecule for colon cancer treatment.
16-giu-2023
Antonietta Notaro, Marianna Lauricella, Diana Di Liberto, Sonia Emanuele, Michela Giuliano, Alessandro Attanzio, et al. (2023). A Deadly Liaison between Oxidative Injury and p53 Drives Methyl-Gallate-Induced Autophagy and Apoptosis in HCT116 Colon Cancer Cells. ANTIOXIDANTS, 12(6) [10.3390/antiox12061292].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/596178
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