Marine-derived antimicrobial peptide piscidin-1 triggers extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma through reactive oxygen species production and inhibits angiogenesis

Fu-Ching Chiu; Hsiao-Mei Kuo; Chen-Ling Yu; Padhmavathi Selvam; I-Li Su; Chung-Chih Tseng; Chien-Han Yuan; Zhi-Hong Wen

doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.04.235

Marine-derived antimicrobial peptide piscidin-1 triggers extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma through reactive oxygen species production and inhibits angiogenesis

Free Radic Biol Med. 2024 Apr 26:220:28-42. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.04.235. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Fu-Ching Chiu¹, Hsiao-Mei Kuo², Chen-Ling Yu¹, Padhmavathi Selvam¹, I-Li Su³, Chung-Chih Tseng⁴, Chien-Han Yuan⁵, Zhi-Hong Wen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
² Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan; Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan.
³ Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Antai Medical Care Corporation, Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital, Pingtung, 92842, Taiwan.
⁴ Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan; Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80284, Taiwan.
⁵ Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80284, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan. Electronic address: a0878020003@mail.802.org.tw.
⁶ Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan. Electronic address: wzh@mail.nsysu.edu.tw.

PMID: 38679300
DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.04.235

Abstract

Cancer of the head and neck encompasses a wide range of cancers, including oral and oropharyngeal cancers. Oral cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages and has a dismal prognosis. Piscidin-1, a marine antimicrobial peptide (AMP) containing approximately 22 amino acids, also exhibits significant anticancer properties. We investigated the possible anti-oral cancer effects of piscidin-1 and clarified the mechanisms underlying these effects. We treated the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines OC2 and SCC4 with piscidin-1. Cell viability and the expression of different hallmark apoptotic molecules, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), were tested using the appropriate MTT assay, flow cytometry and western blotting assays, and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) wound healing, migration, and tube formation (angiogenesis) assays. Piscidin-1 increases cleaved caspase 3 levels to induce apoptosis. Piscidin-1 also increases ROS levels and intensifies oxidative stress in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, it decreases the oxygen consumption rates and activity of mitochondrial complexes I-V. As expected, the antioxidants MitoTEMPOL and N-acetylcysteine reduce piscidin-1-induced ROS generation and intracellular calcium accumulation. Piscidin-1 also inhibits matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9 expression in HUVECs, affecting migration and tube formation angiogenesis. We demonstrated that piscidin-1 can promote apoptosis via both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and findings indicate that piscidin-1 has anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties in oral cancer treatment. Our study on piscidin-1 thus provides a basis for future translational anti-oral cancer drug research and a new theoretical approach for anti-oral cancer clinical research.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Antimicrobial peptides; Apoptosis; Caspases; Oral cancer; Oxidative phosphorylation deficiencies; Piscidin-1; Reactive oxygen species.