ATM and ATR protein kinases play a crucial role in cellular DNA damage responses. The inhibition of ATM and ATR can lead to the abolition of the function of cell cycle checkpoints. In this regard, it is expected that checkpoint inhibitors can serve as sensitizing agents for anti-cancer chemo/radiotherapy. Although several ATM inhibitors have been reported, there are no ATR-specific inhibitors c...

PURPOSE The dose-cumulative cardiotoxicities and the emerging cancerous apoptotic/drug resistance are two major obstacles limiting the efficacy of anthracycline antibiotics, notably doxorubicin. We attempted to prove if schisandrin B (Sch B), a dual inhibitor of P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance-associated protein 1, could protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, on the premise...

BACKGROUND To mitigate the cardiotoxicity of anthracycline antibiotics without compromising their anticancer activities is still an issue to be solved. We previously demonstrated that schisandrin B (Sch B) could protect against doxorubicin (Dox)-induced acute cardiotoxicity via enhancing cardiomyocytic glutathione redox cycling that could attenuate oxidative stress generated from Dox. In this s...

BACKGROUND Metastasis is the major cause of cancer related death and targeting the process of metastasis has been proposed as a strategy to combat cancer. Therefore, to develop candidate drugs that target the process of metastasis is very important. In the preliminary studies, we found that schisandrin B (Sch B), a naturally-occurring dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan with very low toxicity, could s...

A number of drugs and herbal compounds have been documented to cause hepatoxicity. Schisandrin B (Sch B) is an active dibenzocyclooctadiene isolated from Schisandrae fructus, with a wide array of pharmacological activities. However, the potential hepatotoxicity of Sch B is a major safety concern, and the underlying mechanism for Sch B-induced liver toxic effects is not fully elucidated. In the ...

In the present study, we aim to define the cytoprotective mechanism of ()schisandrin B [()Sch B] in comparison with other phytochemicals in SH-SY5Y cells. The effects of ()Sch B and curcumin (Cur), resveratrol (Rev) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on -amyloid (A)-induced apoptosis were investigated in SH-SY5Y cells. Cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and peroxide-induced GSH dep...

Schisandra chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine that has multiple biological activities, including antioxidant, anticancer, tonic, and anti-aging effects. Deoxyschisandrin (SA) and schisandrin B (SB), the two major lignans isolated from S. chinensis, exert high antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo by scavenging free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Ultraviolet B-ra...

The traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are essential components of alternative medicines. Many TCMs are known to alter the expression of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. The molecular mechanism by which TCMs and/or their constituents regulate enzyme and transporter expression, however, has remained largely unknown. In this report, we show that two TCMs, Wu Wei Zi (Schisandr...