No abstract

Parthenolide (PT) is responsible for the bioactivities of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). Apart from its potent anti-inflammatory effects, this compound has been reported to induce apoptosis in various cancer cells. However, little is known about its role in the process of tumor angiogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the effects and potential mechanisms of action of PT on angiogenesis in human colorectal cancer (CRC). The anti-angiogenic effects of PT were evaluated in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in the human CRC cell lines, HT-29, SW620 and HCT116. PT markedly inhibited vascular cell migration and capillary-like structure formation even at a dose which had not effects on cell viability. PT also suppressed the expression of angiogenic biomarker proteins [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor (VEGFR)1 and VEGFR2] in both the HUVECs and CRC cells. Additionally, PT effectively inhibited tumor neovascularization in a HT-29 xenograft model. These results indicate that PT suppresses angiogenesis by reducing the expression of VEGF and its receptors and may be a viable drug candidate in anti-angiogenesis therapies for human CRC.

Background/AimsCombination therapy utilizing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in conjunction with other anticancer agents, is a promising strategy to overcome TRAIL resistance in malignant cells. Recently, parthenolide (PT) has proved to be a promising anticancer agent, and several studies have explored its use in combination therapy. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which PT sensitizes colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.MethodsHT-29 cells (TRAIL-resistant) were treated with PT and/or TRAIL for 24 hours. The inhibitory effect on proliferation was detected using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Annexin V staining, cell cycle analysis, and Hoechst 33258 staining were used to assess apoptotic cell death. Activation of an apoptotic pathway was confirmed by Western blot.ResultsTreatment with TRAIL alone inhibited the proliferation of HCT 116 cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas proliferation was not affected in HT-29 cells. Combination PT and TRAIL treatment significantly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells. We observed that the synergistic effect was associated with misregulation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family members, release of cytochrome C to the cytosol, activation of caspases, and increased levels of p53.ConclusionCombination therapy using PT and TRAIL might offer an effetive strategy to overcome TRAIL resistance in certain CRC cells.

This study focuses on exploring the contribution of Kahoot! to students’ skill enhancement. We set out to determine students’ perceived judgments on how much their skills have improved as a result of using Kahoot! inside classrooms. Deviating from several related research, we not only looked at the effects of playing Kahoot! games but also of creating Kahoot! games. Using a survey that takes Bloom’s taxonomy as its theoretical foundations, we elicited judgments from 95 university freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Students’ self-reports were analyzed using a series of one-way repeated measures ANOVA, which reveals a number of interesting results. First, students reported significant skill improvement when they played Kahoot! during class and even more so when they themselves were involved in the creation of Kahoot! games. Second, not all of the examined skills are subject to the same degree of improvements, leaving some room for educators to ponder how they can use gamification to effectively develop students’ comprehensive skill set. Thirdly, freshmen and juniors reported the highest amount of skill improvements, indicating that certain game-based applications might be helpful for only certain groups of students. Taken together, we suggest that Kahoot! games can be utilized in classrooms for both knowledge enhancement and effective skill improvement.