印亚新闻社声称，不起眼的藏红花可以用来救助处于罹患肝癌的人。研究人员发现，黄金香料中的一种生物分子对肝脏有好处。来自于藏红花中的“藏红花素”可以保护人们免受致命的肝癌,他们补充道。由阿拉伯联合酋长国(UAE)大学的Amr Amin教授主导的新的研究已经阐明了藏红花素的防止肝细胞癌(HCC)的机制。“这项研究的目的是检查藏红花作用于化学分子引发的老鼠中的肝癌机制以及探索藏红花素的抗肿瘤作用的机制,”作者说。

团队调查了藏红花素的抗癌效果，通过实验调查了致癌的肝癌模型，通过研究藏红花素在体内的抗氧化和抗炎活动。为了进一步支持结果,体外也进行了分析。“我们用不同浓度的藏红花素评估了藏红花素对HepG2细胞生存能力的影响。此外,藏红花素对HepG2细胞的细胞周期分布的影响也进行了调查,”团队进行了阐述。藏红花素的发现揭示了抗增生和促进细胞凋亡在induced-HCC中的管理模型。藏红花素表现出对NF-kB消炎作用,其他炎症标记物,也是抑制作用。

使用小鼠模型、人类肝癌细胞，基因表达分析和计算机辅助建模分析, Amr Amin的研究发现“NF-kB”作为治疗肝癌的控制和候选的药物目标。

“综上所述,我们的研究结果介绍藏红花素作为对肝癌治疗的潜在药物,”作者总结道。这项研究,由Al-Jalila基金会和特里福克斯基金会资助,最近发表在《专利抗癌药物发现》上。 （来源：生物360）

Saffron-Based Crocin Prevents Early Lesions of Liver Cancer: In Vivo, In Vitro and Network Analyses

Abstract  Background The angiogenesis inhibitor, sorafenib, remains the only available therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Only recently patents of VEGF receptors-3 inhibitors are developed. Thus, a novel approach against HCC is essential for a better therapeutic outcome. Objective The aims of this study were to examine the chemopreventive action of saffron's main biomolecule, crocin, against chemically-induced liver cancer in rats, and to explore the mechanisms by which crocin employs its anti-tumor effects. Method We investigated the anti-cancer effect of crocin on an experimental carcinogenesis model of liver cancer by studying the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferation, pro-apoptotic activities of crocin in vivo. In addition, we provided a network analysis of differentially expressed genes in tissues of animals pre-treated with crocin in comparison to induced-HCC animals' tissues. To further support our results, in vitro analysis was carried out. We assessed the effects of crocin on HepG2 cells viability by treating them with various concentrations of crocin; in addition, effects of crocin on cell cycle distribution of HepG2 cells were investigated. Results  Findings reported herein demonstrated the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic properties of crocin when administrated in induced-HCC model. Crocin exhibited anti-inflammatory properties where NF-kB, among other inflammatory markers, was inhibited. In vitro analysis confirmed crocin's effect in HepG2 by arresting the cell cycle at S and G2/M phases, inducing apoptosis and down regulating inflammation. Network analysis identified NF-kB as a potential regulatory hub, and therefore, a candidate therapeutic drug target. Conclusion Taken together, our findings introduce crocin as a candidate chemopreventive agent against HCC.

原文链接：http://www.eurekaselect.com/node/136376/article/saffron-based-crocin-prevents-early-lesions-of-liver-cancer-in-vivo-in-vitro-and-network-analyses#