Alpinumisoflavone causes DNA damage in Colorectal Cancer Cells via blocking DNA repair mediated by RAD51
Authors: Shuang Shang
Yanghong Jin
Yanjie Li
Xiaoyan Li
Genqu Li
Dong Li
Yan Meng
Journal: Life sciences (2019)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: Alpinumisoflavone; CRC; DNA-strand break; RAD51; γ-H2AX.
Affiliations: Department of Pharmacy, Puyang Oilfield General Hospital, Henan, China. Electronic address: ., Department of Pharmacy, Puyang Oilfield General Hospital, Henan, China.

Abstract:  This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Panels from Figure 1B appear similar to panels from Figure 2B of the article that Yantao Han, Qian Zhao, Jie Zhou and Rui Shi have published in the American Journal of Cancer Research 7 (2017) 218-233 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28337372/. Also, panel sections within Figure 5D appear similar to each other. Panel ‘AIF(25mg/kg)’ from Figure 7A appears similar to panel ‘His (20mg/kg)’ from Figure 8A of the article that Mei Han, Hui Gao, Ping Ju, Ming-quan Gao, Yin-ping Yuan, Xue-hong Chen, Kai-li Liu, Yan-tao Han and Zhi-wu Han have published in Biomedicine &amp; Pharmacotherapy 103 (2018) 272-283 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.04.014. Panels from Figure 7D appear similar to panels from Figure 6D of the article that Qiang Wang, Yi Yan, Jie Zhang, Peng Guo, Yuqing Xing, Yong Wang, Fawei Qin and Qingyun Zeng have published in Biomedicine &amp; Pharmacotherapy 104 (2018) 28-35 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.05.013, Figure 6C of the article that Xiao-ping Pan, Chen Wang, Yan Li and Li-hua Huang have published in Biomedicine &amp; Pharmacotherapy 99 (2018) 894-903 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.01.148 and Figure 4C of the article that Shufang Wei and Weiyuan Ma have published in Biomedicine &amp; Pharmacotherapy 90 (2017) 278-286 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2017.03.068. Panels from Figure 7F appear similar to panels from Figure 6F of the article that Xuezhu Lin, Mingquan Gao, Ailing Zhang, Jingjie Tong, Xiaoyi Zhang, Quanzhong Su, Zhihong Yang, Hui Gao and Guohui Jiang in Life Sciences 239 (2019) 117074 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117074, Figure 6F of the article that Luping Wang, Lu Yun, Xiaojun Wang, Liying Sha, Luning Wang, Yingying Sui and Hui Zhang have published in Life Sciences 218 (2019) 16-24 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2018.12.023 and Figure 7H of the article that Ying Niu, Jinping Zhang, Yalin Tong, Jiansheng Li and Bingrong Liu have published in Life Sciences 237 (2019) 116893 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2019.116893. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 Fig 7D,  Representative pictures of IHC staining for Ki-67, cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax and RAD51 in the xenograft tumor tissues . Below: Fig 6D from [Wang et al (2018)] ,  [PG] increased apoptosis and decreased HK2 expression in tumor tissue. ![file] Comparisons with other papers from this oeuvre would show the same or greater numbers of replicated panels, but I am feeling lazy. , 
 Fig 5D.  Cell ... apoptosis in each group were analyzed by ... Annexin V PI staining . ![file] It is understandable that the reviewers did not spot the similarity between these plots and ones from other papers in this oeuvre. It is strange, though, that they did not notice that the two upper-right panels are identical apart from a region below the axis-crossing; nor the fiesta of clone-stamping that occurred in two central panels in the lower row. , 
 #1 Here, comparing with Figs 2B ( Physcion induces apoptotic cell death in vivo ) and C ( Physcion improved the levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-12 and CHOP while decreases level of Ki-67 in vivo ) of [Pan et al (2018)] : ![file] , 
 I hope people appreciate the effort put into creating this montage. From top left, clockwise: 6F from [Lin et al (2019)] :  The toxicity of FL118 on the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidneys were examined using H E staining . 6F [Wang et al (2019)] :  Soy B did not cause marked histological damage in spleen, liver, heart, kidney and lung tissue . 7H [Niu et al (2019)] :  HE staining was applied to evaluate the changes in the lung, heart, kidney and liver tissues . 7F [Li et al (2019)] :  Representative pictures of H E stained tissues of the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney of the AIF-treated mice . ![] In the  kidney column for Lin et al, the three panels are in the opposite sequence from the Wang et al and Niu et al kidney columns. To show that would require more colors. , 
 Below: Fig 7A,  AIF administration inhibits CRC progression in a HCT-116 xenograft model. Ten million HCT-116 cells were inoculated into the left flank of each nude mouse and AIF (25 and 50 mg kg) or vehicle was administrated daily for 24 days via intraperitoneal injections. Horizontally flipped for comparison with (Above) Fig 8A of [Han et al (2019)] :  Hispdiulin suppresses tumor growth and lung metastasis in HCC xenograft model. Nude mice bearing HCC xenografts were administrated daily ip injections of hispidulin (20, and 40 mg kg) or vehicle.  ![file] Different treatment, different xenograft, different teams of authors. , 
 Fig 1B.  AIF induces apoptosis in CRC cells. ... B. Colony formation assay of HCT-116 and SW480 cells treated with AIF (5 and 10 u00b5M) for the indicated durations. Below, 2B from [Han et al (2017)] .  MiR-429 promotes cell proliferation. ... B. MiR-429 promotes long term cell proliferation, as determined by colony formation. ![file] Surprisingly many colony plates appear in both papers, given that these are different treatments of different cell lines, reported by different authors. , 
 Now comparing *[right]* Fig 7D with *[left]* 4C from [Wei Ma (2017)] :  MiR-370 exerts oncogenic effect in vivo.... C. Promoting effect of miR-370 on tumor growth correlates with lower expression of PDHB and cleaved caspase-3 and higher expression of Ki-67 . ![] , 
 From the References. ![file] Red box indicates a retracted paper ([Gao et al, 2017] ). Yellow boxes indicate papers with PubPeer discussion threads. There is a whole parallel literature out there of problematic but self-citing papers. It includes a surprising dependence on *American Journal of Cancer Research* and *Am.J.Translational Res*, both from  e-Century , as featured on lists of predatory publishers. , 
 Retracted [13 July 2022] . ---------------- This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Panels from Figure 1B appear similar to panels from Figure 2B of the article that Yantao Han, Qian Zhao, Jie Zhou and Rui Shi have published in the American Journal of Cancer Research 7 (2017) 218-233 https: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 28337372 . Also, panel sections within Figure 5D appear similar to each other. Panel u2018AIF(25mg kg)u2019 from Figure 7A appears similar to panel u2018His (20mg kg)u2019 from Figure 8A of the article that Mei Han, Hui Gao, Ping Ju, Ming-quan Gao, Yin-ping Yuan, Xue-hong Chen, Kai-li Liu, Yan-tao Han and Zhi-wu Han have published in Biomedicine Pharmacotherapy 103 (2018) 272-283 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.biopha.2018.04.014. Panels from Figure 7D appear similar to panels from Figure 6D of the article that Qiang Wang, Yi Yan, Jie Zhang, Peng Guo, Yuqing Xing, Yong Wang, Fawei Qin and Qingyun Zeng have published in Biomedicine Pharmacotherapy 104 (2018) 28-35 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.biopha.2018.05.013, Figure 6C of the article that Xiao-ping Pan, Chen Wang, Yan Li and Li-hua Huang have published in Biomedicine Pharmacotherapy 99 (2018) 894-903 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.biopha.2018.01.148 and Figure 4C of the article that Shufang Wei and Weiyuan Ma have published in Biomedicine Pharmacotherapy 90 (2017) 278-286 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.biopha.2017.03.068. Panels from Figure 7F appear similar to panels from Figure 6F of the article that Xuezhu Lin, Mingquan Gao, Ailing Zhang, Jingjie Tong, Xiaoyi Zhang, Quanzhong Su, Zhihong Yang, Hui Gao and Guohui Jiang in Life Sciences 239 (2019) 117074 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.lfs.2019.117074, Figure 6F of the article that Luping Wang, Lu Yun, Xiaojun Wang, Liying Sha, Luning Wang, Yingying Sui and Hui Zhang have published in Life Sciences 218 (2019) 16-24 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.lfs.2018.12.023 and Figure 7H of the article that Ying Niu, Jinping Zhang, Yalin Tong, Jiansheng Li and Bingrong Liu have published in Life Sciences 237 (2019) 116893 https: doi.org 10.1016 j.lfs.2019.116893. ,