Progress in phytochemicals' induction of autophagic cell death in cancer cells and regulation of nuclear receptors

Abstract

Autophagic cell death is a kind of caspase-independent programmed cell death. Nuclear receptors can regulate transcription and translation of the downstream genes, affect expressions of autophagy-related genes, and regulate autophagy in cancer cells. It was found that many phytochemicals, including isothiocyanate, flavonoid, saponin, phytoestrogen, anthraquinones and alkaloid, can induce autophagic cell death in cancer cells. Nuclear receptors can be combined with and activated by phytochemicals, comprising isothiocyanate, flavonoid and phytoestrogen. Some drugs, which exert their functions through directly interacting with nuclear receptors, such as tamoxifen, 15-deoxy Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2, EB1089, sesquiterpene analogs of paclitaxel AGS 115 and EFDAC, induce autophagic cell death in special cancer. All this information provides a clue to the relationship among phytochemicals, nuclear receptors and autophagy.