Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the diet is a causal factor in the development of abdominal obesity; however, the molecular mechanism behind this association is still up for debate. This study evaluated the metabolic disturbances that are caused by HFCS on adipose tissue as well...

Objective: Lung cancer is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality. Platinum-based chemotherapy, which is the primary line of treatment, offers limited benefit due to drug resistance and side effects. Berberine (BBR), which is characterised by its potent and safe anticancer activity, represents a promising combination option in chemotherapy. To overcome the limitations in lung cancer chemotherapy, we investigated whether BBR and cisplatin (CIS) exert synergistic effects on non-small cell lung cancer cell line (A549) based on cytotoxicity and apoptotic response markers. Methods: The potential cytotoxic effects of the combination treatment were evaluated using the MTT and Chou-Talalay methods. Elisa assays were also performed to measure the levels of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and the effector protein caspase (Cas)-3. Results: The results showed that BBR alone reduced A549 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and synergized with CIS (CI =0.34±0.05 at IC50 concentrations). Elisa results showed that the combined treatment (both at IC50 concentrations) modulated apoptotic signalling pathways in A549 cells. Bax and Cas3 protein levels were dramatically enhanced in A549 cells treated with CIS +BBR compared to control (0.5% DMSO) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that BBR can synergistically enhance the therapeutic effect of CIS in A549 cells. The potential therapeutic efficacy of BBR as part of a combination in current chemotherapy should be supported by in-depth research and clinical studies on the molecular mechanisms associated with cancer.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether berberine (BBR) and 5-fluorouracil (5FU), which forms the backbone of chemotherapy, have a synergistic effect on colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) and what mechanisms might be behind this. Materials and Methods: Cell viability was determined by MTT and the combination index (CI) by Chou-Talalay method. Apoptosis and inflammation-related proteins (Bcl-2, p53, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-9) were measured by ELISA. Results: The IC50 values of BBR and 5FU were found to be 280 µM and 20 mM for 24 h. The combination treatment showed synergistic cytotoxicity, both of which were more pronounced at IC50 (CI=0.143). 5FU+BBR showed a synergistic apoptotic effect by decreasing Bcl-2 and increasing p53 (0.712-fold decrease in Bcl-2 and 2.650-fold increase in p53 compared to 5FU). The increase in IL-6 and TNF-α by 5FU was significantly suppressed by 5FU+BBR (0.733-fold and 0.485-fold). Although there was no significant difference in MMP-9 in 5FU compared to control, 5FU+BBR significantly decreased MMP-9 (0.601-fold). Conclusion: The results show the enormous potential of BBR in combination with 5FU for the chemotherapy of colorectal carcinoma through apoptosis induction, inflammation inhibition and metastasis inhibition.