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. 2024 Nov 21;14(50):37286-37298.
doi: 10.1039/d4ra03069a. eCollection 2024 Nov 19.

Modulation of miR-205 expression using a Cheiranthus cheiri phyto-nano hybrid as a potential therapeutic agent against breast cancer

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Modulation of miR-205 expression using a Cheiranthus cheiri phyto-nano hybrid as a potential therapeutic agent against breast cancer

Fatima Razzaq et al. RSC Adv. .

Abstract

Breast cancer is the fifth major cause of fatalities associated with cancer worldwide and in Pakistan, 34 066 female breast cancer cases were recorded in 2018. This study was designed to understand extracts of Cheiranthus cheiri (C. cheiri) and to evaluate the epigenetic modulation of microRNA expression for breast cancer therapy using a selected phyto-nanohybrid treatment. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of potential phytochemicals and antioxidant scavenging activity in the C. cheiri extracts with a DPPH (2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydroxyl) assay giving an IC50 value of 20.63 μg mL-1. GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy) analysis of the C. cheiri n-hexane extract detected 42 phytocompounds. Titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized using XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and EDX (energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry) to confirm the synthesis of anatase (tetragonal) TiO2. The prepared nanoparticles were conjugated with the selected plant i.e., C. cheiri. The resulting phyto-nanohybrid was used for the subsequent treatment of breast cancer induced in a female rat model. The treatment groups were as follows: doxorubicin as the standard treatment, C. cheiri, TiO2 and the phyto-nano hybrid treatment. After 8 weeks of treatment, the groups induced to exhibit breast cancer (with and without treatment) and the control groups were dissected and analysed for histopathological, haematological and microRNA expression. Histopathological examination revealed chronic inflammation in the dilated ducts and tumour embolus formation, thus confirming the presence of breast cancer in the DMBA-induced female rat model. MicroRNA expression analysis showed a statistically significant decrease in levels of miR-205 in the plasma of the breast cancer rat model compared to the control (p < 0.05). After treatment with the phyto-nano hybrid, a statistically significant increase in the expression of miR-205 was observed in the rat models induced to exhibit breast cancer compared to the rat model without any treatment (p < 0.05). The downregulation of miR-205 in the plasma of the breast cancer exhibiting model, as compared to the control, and its upregulation after treatment with the selected phyto-nano hybrid indicated its diagnostic and prognostic significance. It is concluded that the phyto-nano hybrid used in this study is effective against breast cancer induced female rat model. All the results support the finding that the selected phyto-nano hybrid has great potential as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Antioxidant potential of the ethanol and n-hexane extracts of C. cheiri and the standard, ascorbic acid. (a) DPPH scavenging activity, (b) ABTS radical scavenging assay, and (c) hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. All results are in triplicate, are significant and have a p-value ≤0.05.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Phytochemical characterization of C. cheiri by GCMS analysis.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. XRD analysis of the TiO2 nanoparticles.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. SEM analysis of the TiO2 nanoparticles. The SEM image clearly exhibits the morphology of the TiO2 nanoparticles which is a spherical agglomeration that is homogenously distributed through the entire surface.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. EDX spectrum of the TiO2 nanoparticles. Peaks representing pure titanium and oxygen are present in the specimen.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. Histopathological analysis of breast tissues. (a) The control group reveals mature adipose tissue along with a collection of lymphoid tissue. No evidence of granulomatous or a neoplastic process are noted. (b) The DMBA-induced untreated group has chronic inflammation in the dilated ducts and evidence of tumor embolus formation. (c) The DMBA-induced doxorubicin treated group reveals cystic changes, inflammatory cells and elongated cells. (d) The DMBA-induced C. cheiri treated group reveals cystic changes. (e) The DMBA-induced TiO2 treated group reveals cystic changes, inflammatory cells and elongated cells. (f) The DMBA induced phyto-nano hybrid treated group reveals a mature adipose tissue along with a collection of lymphoid tissue. Inflammatory cells are seen.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7. Graphical representation of the miR-205 quantification analysis. (a) miR-205 is downregulated in the plasma of breast cancer rats compared to the control. (b) MicroRNA is slightly upregulated in the standard treatment but the expression is significantly upregulated in the phyto treatment, nano treatment and phyto-nano hybrid treatment groups. The y-axis denotes the plasma fold change expression of miR-205 normalized to miR-16 as a referenced gene.

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