1.
Double-Sided Personality: Effects of Arsenic Trioxide on Inflammation.
Zhang, J, Zhang, Y, Wang, W, Li, C, Zhang, Z
Inflammation. 2018;(4):1128-1134
Abstract
In 1992, arsenic trioxide (As2O3, ATO) was demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic agent against acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), rekindling attention to ATO applications in U.S. Food and Drug Administration clinical trials for the treatment of cancers, such as leukemia, lymphomas, and solid tumors. ATO is a potent chemotherapeutic drug that can also be used to treat other diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, because it affects multiple pathways including apoptosis induction, differentiation stimulation, and proliferation inhibition. As inflammation is a critical component of disease progression, ATO is a feasible treatment option based on its ability to protect against inflammation. However, ATO is also a well-known carcinogen because of its pro-inflammatory effect. This review will focus on the double-sided effects of ATO on inflammation as well as the relevant mechanisms underlying these effects, aiming to provide a rational understanding of how ATO effects the immune system. We especially aim to provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of how ATO influences inflammation.
2.
Regulation of ABCG2 by nuclear factor kappa B affects the sensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells to arsenic trioxide.
Jiang, X, Chen, C, Gu, S, Zhang, Z
Environmental toxicology and pharmacology. 2018;:141-150
Abstract
Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is successfully used as an anticancer agent against acute promyelocytic leukemia and some solid tumors. However, the application of As2O3 is largely limited by its drug resistance in the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Therefore, it is an urgent task to enhance the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to As2O3. In this study, using human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as a cell culture model, we demonstrated that an adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporter, ABCG2, was significantly increased by As2O3 treatment, while other ABC transporters, ABCB1 and ABCC1 showed no remarkable change in the response to As2O3. After inhibition of ABCG2 by its specific inhibitor, the drug sensitivity of As2O3 to A549 cells was significantly enhanced, manifested by decreased cell viability and colony formation as well as the increased ROS production and cell apoptosis. To further understand the molecular mechanism underlying the elevation of ABCG2 expression in As2O3-treated cells, we detected the activation state of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and its relationship with ABCG2 expression. Our results revealed that the increased expression of ABCG2 was regulated by NF-κB, and thus affecting the cell death of As2O3-treated A549 cells. These findings indicate that inhibition of NF-κB/ABCG2 pathway by specific inhibitors may be a new strategy for the improvement of As2O3 sensitivity in NSCLC treatment.
3.
Inhibition factors of arsenic trioxide therapeutic effects in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Sui, M, Zhang, Z, Zhou, J
Chinese medical journal. 2014;(19):3503-6
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To summarize limitations involved in arsenic trioxide therapeutic effects in acute promyelocytic leukemia, because current studies show that some individuals of acute promyelocytic leukemia have relatively poor outcomes during treatment with arsenic trioxide. DATA SOURCES Most relevant articles were included in the PubMed database between 2000 and 2013 with the keywords "acute promyelocytic leukemia," "arsenic trioxide," "thiol" or "methylation." In addition, a few older articles were also reviewed. STUDY SELECTION Data and articles related to arsenic trioxide effect in acute promyelocytic leukemia treatment were selected and reviewed. We developed an overview of limitations associated with arsenic trioxide therapeutic effect. RESULTS This review focuses on the researches about the arsenic trioxide therapeutic effect in acute promyelocytic leukemia and summarizes three mainly limitations which can influence the arsenic trioxide therapeutic effect to different degrees. First, with the combination of arsenic and glutathione the therapeutic effect and cytotoxicity decrease when glutathione concentration increases; second, arsenic methylation, stable arsenic methylation products weaken the apoptosis effect of arsenic trioxide in leukemia cells; third, gene mutations affect the sensitivity of tumor cells to arsenic trioxide and increase the resistance of leukemia cells to arsenic trioxide. CONCLUSIONS The chief limitations are listed in the review. If we can exclude all of them, we can obtain a better therapeutic effect of arsenic trioxide in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia.