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Inhibitory effects of berberine on ovarian cancer: Beyond apoptosis

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Abstract

Ovarian cancer is one of the main causes of women’s mortality worldwide. A variety of biological mechanisms are involved in ovarian cancer pathogenesis, including epigenetic alterations, mutations (especially in tumor suppressor genes), upregulated oncogenes, decreased apoptotic pathways, and dysregulation of other signaling pathways. Surgery and chemotherapy are two common approaches for treating ovarian cancer. Chemoresistance to common therapeutic drugs results in a lack of significant improvements in ovarian cancer therapy. In this regard, finding and developing new therapeutic platforms are required. Utilizing medicinal plants has emerged as a new horizon in the treatment of various cancers, such as ovarian cancer. Berberine is a yellow extract obtained from different plants and shows various antitumor activities. Also, clinical studies indicated that berberine is a safe and nontoxic compound. Herein, we reviewed the role of berberine in different aspects of ovarian cancers, such as apoptosis.

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Abbreviations

WHO:

World Health Organization

MC:

mucinous carcinomas

SC:

serous carcinomas

CCC:

clear-cell carcinomas

EC:

endometrioid carcinomas

NSCLC:

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

CCNE1 :

encoding cycline E1

TNF-α:

tumor necrosis factor-α

MPO:

Myeloperoxidase

FSH:

follicle-stimulating hormone

TRAIL:

TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand

IGF-1:

insulin-like growth factor-1

NAIP:

neuronal apoptosis inhibitory proteins

XIAP:

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein

miRNA:

microRNA

3’UTRs:

3′ untranslated regions

TF:

tissue factor

ER:

estrogen receptor

AIF:

apoptosis-inducing factor

ER:

endoplasmic reticulum

PARP:

poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

SASP:

senescence-associated secretory phenotype

SA-β-gal:

senescence-associated β-galactosidase

HRR:

homologous recombination repair

DHFR:

dihydrofolate reductase

TS:

thymidylate synthase

SSAT:

spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase

hERG1:

human ether-a-go-go-related potassium channel 1

FasL:

Fas ligand

PKC:

protein kinase C

AMPK:

adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase

ERK:

extracellular signal-regulated kinases

IL:

interleukin

PI3K:

phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase

PTEN:

phosphatase and tensin homolog

iNOS:

inducible nitric oxide synthase

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Author contributions

J.H. contributed in the conception, design, and drafting of the manuscript. P.M.D., M.J., B.B., R.S., and Z.A. contributed in reviewing relevant literature. All authors approved the final version for submission. J.H. oversaw the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R., Iran

    Parisa Maleki Dana, Rana Shafabakhsh & Zatollah Asemi

  2. Clinical Research Development Center (CRDC), Sayad Shirazi Hospital, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Moghadeseh Jahanshahi

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Dietary Supplements and Probiotic Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Bita Badehnoosh

  4. Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Research Center for Evidence-Based Health Management, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran

    Jamal Hallajzadeh

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  1. Parisa Maleki Dana
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  2. Moghadeseh Jahanshahi
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  3. Bita Badehnoosh
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Correspondence to Bita Badehnoosh or Jamal Hallajzadeh.

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Maleki Dana, P., Jahanshahi, M., Badehnoosh, B. et al. Inhibitory effects of berberine on ovarian cancer: Beyond apoptosis. Med Chem Res 30, 1605–1613 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00044-021-02763-0

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