Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), primary liver cancer, is a major health problem and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Epigenetic modulations are essential for the maintenance of gene expression patterns in mammals. Disruption of these processes can lead to silenced gene and malignant cellular transformation. The current study was designed to compare the effect of curcumin with trichostatin A (TSA) on DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) gene expression, cell growth inhibition, and apoptosis induction in HCC Hepa 1-6 cell line.
Materials and Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma Hepa 1-6 cell line  was purchased from the National Cell Bank of Iran-Pasteur Institute,  treated with curcumin (1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 μM) and TSA (0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 μM), and the MTT assay was performed. Then, flow cytometry assay and Real-Time RT-PCR analysis were performed with curcumin and TSA treatments. Statistical comparisons between groups were performed using ANOVA (one‑way ANOVA) and Turkey test. A significant difference was considered as P < 0.05.
Results: Both treatments showed significant inhibitory and apoptotic effects, besides reducing the expression of DNMT1. The relative expression of DNMT1 gene in the curcumin-treated groups were 0.7 to 0.3 (P <0.001) and in the TSA treated groups were 0.5 to 0.19 (P <0.001).
Conclusion: The curcumin and trichostatin A (TSA) can inhibit cell viability and induce apoptosis somehow through epigenetic modification. The curcumin indicated a more significant apoptotic effect than TSA.

Background: DNA molecule of the eukaryotic cells is found in the form of a nucleoprotein complex named chromatin. Two epigenetic modifications are critical for transcriptional control of genes, including acetylation and DNA methylation. Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is catalyzed by various DNA methyltransferase enzymes (DNMTs), including DNMT1, DNMT2, and DNMT3. The most well characterized DNA demetilating and histone deacetylase inhibitor drugs are 5-aza-2ˈ-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) and valproic acid (VPA), respectively. The purpose of the current study was to analyze the effects of 5-Aza-CdR and VPA on cell growth, apoptosis, and DNMT1 gene expression in the WCH-17 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive analytical study, MTT assay, flow cytometry assay, and Quantitative Real-Time RT-PCRwere done to evaluate proliferative and apoptotic effects and also gene expression.
Results: Both compounds inhibited the cell growth and induced apoptosis significantly in a dose and time depended fashion. Additionally, 5-Aza-CdR down-regulated DNMT1 gene expression. The relative expression of DNMT1 was 0.40 and 0.20 (P < 0.001) at different times, respectively. The percentage of VPA- treated apoptotic cells were reduced by about 28 and 34 % (P˂0.001) and that of 5-Aza-CdR-treated were reduced by about 34 and 44 % (P˂0.001) after treatment time periods.
Conclusion: In the current study, it was observed that 5-Aza-CdR and VPA could significantly inhibit the growth of WCH-17 cell and played a significant role in apoptosis. It was also found that 5-Aza-CdR could decrease DNMT1 gene expression.

Background: Mammalian cell division is regulated by a complex includes cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and cyclins, Cdk/cyclin complex. The activity of the complex is regulated by Cdk inhibitors (CKIs) compressing CDK4 (INK4) and CDK-interacting protein/kinase inhibitory protein (CIP/KIP) family. Hypermethylation of CKIs has been reported in various cancers. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTIs), such as decitabine and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) can reactivate hypermethylated genes. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of 5-aza-CdR on the expression of p16INK4a, p14ARF, p15INK4b genes, cell viability, and apoptosis in HCC PLC/PRF5 and pancreatic cancer MIA Paca-2 cell lines.
Materials and Methods: In this laboratory trial, both cell lines were treated with 5-aza-CdR (0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μM) to determine cell viability and then with 3 μM to obtain cell apoptosis and relative gene expression. The cell viability, apoptosis, and genes expression were investigated by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, and Real-Time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively.
Results: 5-aza-CdR indicated significant inhibitory effect with all used concentrations (P = 0.003). The apoptotic effect of 5-aza-CdR on PLC/PRF5 cells in comparison to pancreatic cancer MIA Paca-2 cells was more significant (P= 0.001). Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that treatment with 5-aza-CdR (3 μM) for 24 and 48h up-regulated p16INK4a, p14ARF, p15INK4b genes expression significantly(P=0.040).
Conclusion: Reactivation of p16INK4a, p14ARF, p15INK4b genes by 5-aza-CdR can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell viability in HCC, PLC/PRF5, and pancreatic cancer, MIA Paca-2, cell lines.

Background: One of the acute hematologic malignancies is acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) that resulted in translocation of chromosomes 15 and 17, t (15; 17), and cessation in the maturation of myeloid cell line, and ultimate aggregation of neoplastic promyelocytes. Regarding that appetence of using herbal and marine medicine studies is increasing, and on the other hand, the features of Cassiopea andromeda Venom remained unclear; this study was conducted to determine its effects on NB4 cells as a model for APL.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the cells were treated with C. andromeda Venom concentrations at different periods and times. Growth inhibition and toxic effects of C. andromeda Venom were evaluated through methyl thiazole tetrazolium salt reduction (MTT test). The flow cytometry analysis was carried out using 7AAD and Annexin V stains for evaluating this venom’s effect on apoptotic pathways. Besides, Real-Time polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the relative gene expression.
Results: C. andromeda Venom inhibited the growth of NB4 cells as correlated with concentration and time. Cell growth was inhibited by 49.1%, after 24 hours of treating NB4 cells with 1000µg/mL C. andromeda Venom. This venom increased the apoptotic process, which was then verified by 7AAD/AnnexinV staining. The fold change of p15INK4b, p21 WAF1/CIP1, P53, DNMT1, and Bcl-2 genes in the NB4 cell line were 144, 2.78, 1.75, 15.24, and 0.33, respectively, which meant that the expression level of p15INK4b, p21 WAF1/CIP1, P53, and DNMT1 were increased by 14400%, 278%, 175%, and 1524%, respectively and the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased by 67%.
Conclusion: Considering the inhibitory property of C. andromeda Venom, the authors recommended it as a part of combinational medication for treating APL in animal trials and for other leukemias’ in vitro studies.

Background: In various cancers, Ganoderic Acid A (GAA), an active triterpenoid derived from Ganoderma lucidum, has been proved to show potent anti-tumor effects. However, the possible impacts of GAA on the human leukemia cell line (Nalm-6) are not fully elucidated. Therefore, this research aimed to study the antineoplastic effect of GAA on Nalm-6 cells.
Materials and Methods: In this laboratory trial study, Nalm6 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with different doses of GAA (25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL) for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The optimal treatment concentration of GAA was determined by the MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to determine the death of Nalm-6 cells caused by GAA treatment by utilizing FITC-conjugated propidium iodide (PI) and annexin V staining. After incubation, the expression levels of miR-17-5p and miR-181b were monitored using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results: Based on the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) measurements of the MTT assay, the optimal treatment concentration of GAA was 140 μg/mL (in a dose and time-dependent manner, p<0.0001). The GAA treatment was selectively toxic to the leukemia Nalm-6 cells and could remarkably induce cell apoptosis (p<0.0001). Besides, GAA downregulated the expression of miR-17-5p and miR-181b in the Nalm-6 cells compared with the untreated cells (P=0.0067 and P=0.0014, respectively).
Conclusions: Based on the present findings, GAA merits further investigation as a promising natural reagent for treating hematologic malignancies.

Background: Although significant advances have been made in the treatment of cancer, a significant number of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) show resistance to treatment. Thus, it is necessary to seek novel therapeutic agents to overcome this problem. Studies have indicated that the expression level of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), a negative regulator of p53, is markedly elevated in patients with refractory or recurrent ALL. Thus, targeting MDM2 using a specific inhibitor, Idasanutlin, can increase the activity of p53. This study evaluated the possible synergistic effect of Idasanutlin and Daunorubicin on the induction of apoptosis in NALM-6 cells.
Materials and methods:  In this fundamental study, the anti-proliferative effects of Idasanutlin on NALM-6 cells, either alone or in combination with Daunorubicin, were confirmed by MTT(methyl-thiazol-tetrazolium) assay, Annexin/PI apoptosis assay, and cell cycle analysis. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analyses were applied to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-leukemic activity of Idasanutlin.
Results: Idasanutlin synergistically enhanced Daunorubicin-induced apoptosis and activated caspase-3, thereby activating programmed cell death in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.001). The treatment of NALM-6 cells with Idasanutlin caused cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase by an increase in the expression of p21 (P<0.001).  Moreover, a significant increase was detected in the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (P<0.001), as well as a remarkable decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic (P<0.01) and multidrug resistance1 (MDR1) genes (P<0.01).
Conclusions: It seems that Idasanutlin can cooperatively promote daunorubicin-induced apoptosis in NALM-6 cells. These findings open up a new horizon in the application of Idasanutlin in combination with Daunorubicin to overcome drug resistance in patients with ALL.

Background:  The aberrant and altered patterns of gene expression play an important role in the biology of cancer and tumorigenesis. DNA methylation and histone deacetylation are the most studied epigenetic mechanisms. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) such as valproic acid (VPA) and trichostatin A (TSA) are a group of anticancer compounds for the treatment of solid and hematological cancers. Previously, we reported the effect of two HDACIs, valproic acid (VPA) and TSA, on colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), respectively. The aim of the current in vitro study is to investigate the effects of TSA on the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, p21/Waf1/Cip1 (p21), p53, and histone deacetylases (HDACs) 1, 2 and 3 in human neuroblastoma LAN-1, glioblastoma GBM-29, HCC SMMC7721, and colon cancer COLO 201 cell lines.
Materials and methods: In this lab-trial study, all three cell lines were seeded at the density of 3 × 105 cells per well and incubated for 24 hours. Then, the cells were treated with TSA based on IC50 values for 24 hours except in the control groups; the control cells were treated with the equal amounts of the DMSO solvent. Subsequently, cell viability, cell apoptosis and gene expression were determined by three techniques including MTT assay, flow cytometry assay, and qRT-PCR.
Results: The result of qRT-PCR indicated that TSA could increase the expression levels of Bid, BimEL, Noxa, p21, and p53 genes and decrease those of Bcl-xL, RIP, Mcl-1, XIAP, HDACs 1, 2 and 3 significantly (P < 0.0001) by which it inhibited cell growth and induced significant cell apoptosis in LAN-1, GBM-29, SMMC7721, and COLO 201 cell lines (p value<0.001).
Conclusion: TSA can affect cell apoptotic via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in LAN-1, GBM-29, SMMC7721, and COLO 201 cell lines.

Background: Gastrointestinal carcinoma comprises 5% of all pediatric cancer in children. Given that the possible and beneficial effect of the Jaft extract in the treatment of gastric cancer is not known and there is no comprehensive study in this regard, this study aimed to assess the effect of Jaft extract on gastric cancer cell lines.
Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, oak fruit was collected from the mountains of Lorestan province. A gastric cancer (AGS) cell line was obtained from the Institute Pasteur cell bank and was cultured. After the preparation of the ethanolic extract of Jaft, the cell viability of the gastric cancer cells treated with Jaft extract was investigated by MTT assay. Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR was used for assessing the expression of BAX, and BCL2 genes.
Results: The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of Jaft extract was 162 µg/ml. The BAX gene expression was different between the case and control groups. In this regard, the expression of the BAX gene was increased in the concentration of 162 (P<0.01) and 250 µg/ml (P<0.001) of Jaft extract compared to the control group. The BCL2 expression was different between the two groups (P<0.05). In this regard, the expression of the BCL2 gene was decreased in the concentration of 162 and 250 µg/ml of Jaft extract compared to the control group.
Conclusion: It was found that Jaft extract increased the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells; therefore, it seems that the hydroalchoholic extract of Jaft is an appropriate anticancer medication.

Background:  For patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the long-term survival rate is still very low. This study examines the effects on AML cell lines of an indole chemical in its free and liposomal forms.
Material and Method: In this experimental case control study, an AML-originated KG-1 cell line was cultured in RPMI 1640 medium. The cells were treated with the free and liposomal forms of an indole compound (C18H10N2F6O) at different concentrations of 20, 40, 100, 200, and 400 µg/mL after they attained the proper confluence. The cellular metabolic activity was examined by an MTT assay. The expression of BAX and BCL-2 genes was investigated by q-PCR to assess the apoptotic effect of that compound. The analysis was also done between each experimental group and the control group using t-test. P<0.05 was assumed significant.
Results: Based on the MTT assay, the lethal effective dose of free indole was found to be 245.1 µg/ml and 164.8 µg/ml in 24 and 48 hours, respectively. The corresponding values for liposomal indole were 47.2 µg/ml and 40.6 µg/ml. Furthermore, treatment with free and liposomal forms of indole resulted in a decline in the expression level of the BCL-2 gene. However, in the case of the liposomal compound, this decrease was only statistically significant after 48 hours of treatment (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of BAX gene increased after treatment with both free and liposomal forms of indole, but it significantly increased only after treatment with the liposomal compound (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: These results suggest that an indole derivative, especially when liposomal, causes apoptosis in AML cells, hence exhibiting cytotoxic effects. To confirm the potential usefulness of this indole derivative as a therapeutic agent for inhibiting tumor progression in the setting of human malignancies, more studies on physiologically relevant models are necessary.