Gehan Abdel Naser

Background: Sinapic acid is one of the phenolic acids that widely distributed in edible plants such as cereals, nuts, oil seeds and berries. Sinapic acid shows antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anxiolytic activity. Material and Method: The present study was conducted based on monitoring of in vitro cytotoxicity using MTT assay. Nano-capsulation was performed using Tween-80, and biochemical changes concerning reactive oxygen species (ROS) profile. Findings: Data recorded revealed that the inhibitory concentration (IC50) of free and Nano-capsulated sinapic acid was 646.4 μM/ml and 84.74 μM/ ml post treatment respectively. Also, cytotoxicity was concentration dependent with significant difference between free and Nano-capsulated one. Also, ROS as a biomarker was elevated in a significant way than in case of Nano-capsulated sinapic acid. In the meantime the biochemical marker (ROS) was changed post cell treatment with both formulae of sinapic acid. Conclusion: Nano-capsulated sinapic acid is more effective as cancer chemopreventive agent with much lower concentration than free sinapic acid on HEp-2 cell line. Keywords: HEp-2 cells, apoptosis, Sinapic acid, Nano-capsulated Sinapic acid, ROS.

The ability of malignant cells to escape from apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer; cancer cells show several characteristics that would readily stimulate apoptosis in normal cells-such as, they violate checkpoints of cell cycle as well as withstanding the exposure to cytotoxic agents; Because of these characteristics, cancer cells tend to survive. Apoptosis is an effective barrier to developing cancer; avoiding apoptosis is important to development of tumor and resistance to cancer therapy. Members of bcl-2 family regarded as important mediators of apoptosis in health and disease, often shown to be deregulated in tumor and lead to the survival of malignant clones. Bax and Bcl-2 are the main members of bcl-2 family that have critical role in cancer progression and inhibition of intrinsic apoptotic pathway stimulated by mitochondrial dysfunction. The balance of pro- (Bax) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) genes can determine the fate of malignant cell. Bcl-2 protein family is the hallmark of apoptosis regulation and disturbance of apoptosis signaling pathways plays critical role in carcinogenesis. Members of Bcl-2 genes were found to be differentially expressed in many types of malignancies. The Bcl-2 protein family is possibly correlated to cancer pathophysiology and resistance to conventional chemotherapy, through its role in regulation of apoptosis. The aim of study was to explain the role of Bax/Bcl-2 Ratio in tumor progression and the effect of its disturbance in carcinogenesis.

Abstract: Background and Objective: Sinapic acid is a cinnamic acid derivative that widely distributed in plant kingdom such as in various fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, oilseed crops, some spices and medicinal plants. Sinapic acid act as preventive and therapeutic agents in several oxidative stress related diseases, such as atherosclerosis, inflammatory injury and cancer. The current study aimed to examine cytotoxicity of free and Nano-sinapic acid on squamous cell carcinoma (HEp-2). Material and Methods: The present work conducted to evaluate the cytotoxicity using MTT assay, evaluation of morphological changes post cell treatment with free and Nanocapsulated Sinapic acid. Nanocapsulation was performed using Tween-80, also evaluation of cell apoptosis and related pro and anti apoptotic genes using rt-PCR concerning (Bax and BCl-2) and cell apoptosis process. Finally, geno-toxicity was traced via arranging for flow cytometry. Results: Data recorded revealed that the inhibitory concentration (IC50) of free and nanocapsulated sinapic acid was 646.4 μM mL–1 and 84.74 μM mL–1 post treatment with free and nanocapsulated sinapic acid, respectively. Also, cytotoxicity was concentration dependent with significant difference between free and capsulated one (p<0.05). Cytotoxicity enhanced apoptosis process accompanied with cell cycle arrest through the induction of G2/M and pre-G1 phases arrest compared with that of cell control. Finally, proapoptotic gene (Bax) was significantly upregulated parallel with significant down regulation of BCL-2 (p<0.05). Conclusion: Current study suggested that Nano-sinapic acid possesses more cytotoxic effect on cancer cells with lower concentration than free sinapic acid so can act better as novel candidate for cancer chemoprevention.

Cancer is one of the major heterogeneous disease with high morbidity and mortality with poor prognosis. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alteration in redox balance, and deregulated redox signaling are common hallmarks of cancer progression and resistance to treatment. Mitochondria contribute mainly in the generation of ROS during oxidative phosphorylation. Elevated levels of ROS have been detected in cancers cells due to high metabolic activity, cellular signaling, peroxisomal activity, mitochondrial dysfunction, activation of oncogene, and increased enzymatic activity of oxidases, cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases, and thymidine phosphorylases. ROS, now appreciated for their cellular signaling capabilities, have a dual role in cancer. On the one hand, ROS can promote protumorigenic signaling, facilitating cancer cell proliferation, survival, and adaptation to hypoxia. On the other hand, ROS can promote antitumorigenic signaling and trigger oxidative stress-induced cancer cell death. To hyperactivate the cell signaling pathways necessary for cellular transformation and tumorigenesis, cancer cells increase their rate of ROS production compared with normal cells. Concomitantly, in order to maintain ROS homeostasis and evade cell death, cancer cells increase their antioxidant capacity. Compared with normal Abstract Background

Abstract: For thousands of years, the natural products have played an important role throughout the world in the treatment and prevention of human diseases. Over 60% of currently used anticancer agents are derived in one way or another from natural sources. Sinapic acid is one of the phenolic acids that widely distributed in edible plants such as cereals, nuts, oil seeds and berries. Sinapic acid shows antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anxiolytic activity. The present study aimed to evaluate cytotoxicity and chemopreventive efficacy of sinapic acid on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. It was concluded that sinapic acid induce apoptosis and change cancer cell morphology due to their pro-apoptotic activity and it can be used for cancer prevention and cancer chemotherapy.

Abstract: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm. Despite the ready accessibility of the oral cavity to direct examination, these malignancies are often still not detected until it is very late and as a result, the survival rate for oral cancer has remained essentially unchanged over the past decades. This study was conducted to evaluate laminin-5γ2 expression in various grades of OSCC and to determine whether this protein can be used as a marker for aggressiveness of oral cancer. Laminin-5 has been shown to be highly expressed in several types of squamous and other epithelial tumors including cutaneous, oesophageal, laryngeal, tracheal, cervical and colon carcinomas. In these tumors, Laminin-5 often is noted to accumulate at the interface of the tumor with the surrounding stroma so Laminin-5 expression has been shown to correlate well with tumor invasiveness and poor patient prognosis.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate laminin-5 γ2 expression in various grades of OSCC and to determine whether this protein can be used as a marker for aggressiveness of oral cancer. Material and Methods: Thirty cases of OSCC were selected and classified according to degree of differentiation into 14 well, 12 moderately and 4 poorly differentiated. Using peroxidase- antiperoxidase method for immunohistochemical examination, each specimen was stained with laminin-5 antibody. Results: The expression of laminin-5 decreased when the aggressiveness of OSCC increased, the degree of differentiation decreased and adhesion between cells decreased. Conclusion: Gradual decrease of laminin-5 staining with decreasing cellular differentiation. And the expression of laminin in the BM may be a useful parameter to evaluate tumor histologic differentiation and aggressiveness.