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Planta Medica 06/2006; · 2.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: 2alpha,7beta,20alpha-Trihydroxy-3beta,21-dimethoxy-5-pregnene (1), 6,7,9alpha-trihydroxy-3,8,11alpha-trimethylcyclohexo-[d,e]-coumarin (2), 3beta-hydroxy-27-benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (3), and 3beta-hydroxy-27-benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid methyl ester (4), along with 24 known compounds were isolated and structurally characterized from roots and aerial parts of Helicteres angustifolia (Sterculiaceae). In a preliminary bioassay, the two cucurbitacin derivatives, cucurbitacin D and J exhibited significant inhibitory activities against the growth of both hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells and malignant melanoma SK-MEL-28 cells in vitro.
Phytochemistry 06/2006; 67(10):1041-7. · 3.35 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Ras/Raf/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway is known to cross-talk with other signaling pathways, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. However, the role of PI3K in ERK-1/2 activation induced by tyrosine kinase receptors was not fully understood. Here, we report that two structurally distinct PI3K inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, inhibited insulin-induced activation of ERK1/2 but had no effect on EGF-induced activation of ERK1/2 in hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 and SMMC-7721 cells, breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and prostate cancer LNCaP cells. Although protein kinase C could act as a mediator between PI3K and ERK1/2, protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine chloride did not inhibit insulin-induced ERK1/2 activation. Both insulin- and EGF-induced ERK1/2 activation are strictly dependent on Ras activation, however, wortmannin only inhibited insulin-induced, but not EGF-induced Ras activation. These results indicate that PI3K plays different roles in the activation of Ras/ERK1/2 signaling by insulin and EGF, and that insulin-stimulated, but not EGF-stimulated, ERK1/2 and Akt signalings diverge at PI3K.
European Journal of Cell Biology 06/2006; 85(5):367-74. · 2.81 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Eleven compounds have been identified from the whole plants of Syzygium levinei (Myrtaceae) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Among these compounds, (Z)-1-(2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-oct-5-en-1-one (1), (3 E,7 Z)-1-(2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-deca-3,7-dien-1-one (2), and 1-(2-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-5,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-octan-1-one (3) were characterized as new alkyl phloroglucinol derivatives, and 1-(2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-hexan-1-one (4) was identified as a new natural product. Compounds 1, 2, and 4 were found to inhibit the proliferation of leukemia K562 and HL-60 cells and also to induce the differentiation of K562 cells as determined by the appearance of matured morphology and the increase in the intracellular hemoglobin level.
Planta Medica 06/2006; 72(6):533-8. · 2.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Cyclic AMP (cAMP), one of the most important intracellular second messengers, has been reported to inhibit proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells via negatively regulating p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Here, we reported that cAMP inhibited the proliferation of HCC BEL-7402 cells via a novel mechanism. Forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, inhibited fetal bovine serum (FBS)-stimulated BEL-7402 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, along with the inhibition of FBS-stimulated serine/threoine protein kinase Akt (also known as PKB) phosphorylation which is required for Akt activation and this effect was mimicked by 8-Br cAMP. Forskolin also inhibited Akt phosphorylation stimulated by other growth factors such as IGF-1, epidermal growth factor, and insulin. These inhibitions were found not only in BEL-7402 cells, but also in another HCC cell line SMMC-7721 cells. Myr-Akt (myristolated-Akt), a constitutively active Akt which was relatively resistant to cAMP inhibition, conferred BEL-7402 cells resistance to cAMP treatment. However, overexpression of Myr-Akt alone was not sufficient to stimulate BEL-7402 cell proliferation. cAMP inhibited FBS-stimulated Akt phosphorylation in a cAMP-dependent protein kinase-dependent manner. Further studies demonstrated that cAMP inhibited FBS-induced membrane localization of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK-1) which is a required process for PDK-1 to phosphorylate Akt, but had no significant effect on phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity. These results indicate that cAMP inhibition of proliferation of HCC cells is mediated by Akt and cAMP inhibits Akt activation via blocking membrane localization of PDK-1.
Cancer biology & therapy 12/2005; 4(11):1240-7. · 2.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The marine natural product 12-epi-scalaradial (SLD) is a specific secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)) inhibitor. However, little is known about whether this compound has other pharmacological effects. Here, we revealed a novel effect of SLD on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated Akt phosphorylation. SLD dose- and time-dependently inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated Akt phosphorylation, which is required for Akt activation. SLD also blocked the EGF-stimulated membrane translocation of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 and inhibited phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity. This inhibition is specific for SLD because other phospholipase inhibitors, including sPLA(2) inhibitor thioetheramide-phosphatidylcholine, cytosolic PLA(2) inhibitor arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone, cytosolic PLA(2) and Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2) inhibitor methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate, phospholipase C inhibitor U73122, and cyclooxygenases inhibitor indomethacin, failed to inhibit EGF-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Furthermore, arachidonic acid, the main sPLA(2)-catalyzed metabolite, was not able to rescue SLD inhibition of EGF-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Overexpression of group IIA or group X sPLA(2) did not reverse the inhibitory effect of SLD on Akt phosphorylation, either. Our results demonstrate that SLD inhibits EGFR-mediated Akt phosphorylation, and this novel effect of SLD is independent of sPLA(2).
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 10/2005; 314(3):1210-7. · 3.83 Impact Factor
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Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry 9(1):12-3. · 3.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A series of novel platinum(II) complexes involving a carrier with HO– peripheral functional group, 2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediamine (HO-pda), cis-[Pt(HO-dpa)X2] (X2 = 2Cl− (1), (2), malonate (3), 1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate (CBDCA) (4), 3-hydroxy-1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylate (HO-CBDCA) (5)), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic data along with X-ray diffraction for three representative complexes 1, 4 and 5. The Pt(II) is in a square planar environment and is coordinated in cis position by a chelating HO-pda and 2Cl− for 1 and CBDCA for 4 and 5. Pt–N, Pt–Cl and Pt–O distances and coordinate bond angles of N–Pt–N, Cl–Pt–Cl and O–Pt–O are in the normal range. There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit of 5, held together by intermolecular hydrogen bonded chain. All the complexes show significant cytotoxicity on the sensitive cell lines SGC-7901, LNcap and A549, and are more active than carboplatin. 4 is also found to be active against the resistant cell A549/ATCC, which suggests that it has less cross-resistance with cisplatin than carboplatin. Moreover 4 shows much greater inhibition of tumor growth than carboplatin in S180-bearing mice, and is therefore worthy of further development as a potential anti-tumor platinum drug.
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry.