Pachymic acid inhibits cell growth and modulates arachidonic acid metabolism in nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 cells.

Aberrant arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism has been involved in inflammation and carcinogenesis. The key enzymes in AA metabolism such as cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA(2)) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) have been implicated in the development and progression of many human cancers, including lung cancer. Hence, the blockade of these enzymes may suppress promotion and survival of human cancer cells. We and others have shown that a natural triterpenoid, pachymic acid (PA), can exhibit antiinflammatory and anticancer properties; however, its potential mechanism has not been fully clarified. In this study, we examined the effect of PA on the proliferation of human nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 cells. Furthermore, we investigated the influences of nontoxic levels of PA on AA metabolism. Additionally, the cellular events and signal transduction pathways influenced by PA were also examined. Our results showed that PA (1) inhibited anchorage-dependent and -independent A549 growth in a concentration-dependent manner, (2) induced apoptosis and disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential in A549 cells, and at nonlethal levels, (3) decreased IL-1 beta-induced activation of cPLA(2) and COX-2, (4) suppressed IL-1 beta-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and (5) inhibited IL-1 beta-stimulated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling pathways. We speculate that inhibition of AA metabolism by PA is mediated in part by its inhibition of MAPKs and NF-kappaB signaling pathways. Our study reveals that, apart from its cytotoxic effect, PA has the chemopreventive potential by reducing production of eicosanoids from AA metabolism.

Polyporenic acid C induces caspase-8-mediated apoptosis in human lung cancer A549 cells.

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. This warrants the search for new and effective agents against lung cancer. We and others have recently shown that lanostane-type triterpenoids isolated from the fungal species Poria cocos (P. cocos) can inhibit cancer growth. However, the mechanisms responsible for the anticancer effects of these triterpenoids remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of polyporenic acid C (PPAC), a lanostane-type triterpenoid from P. cocos, on the growth of A549 nonsmall cell lung cancer cells (NSCLC). The results demonstrate that PPAC significantly reduced cell proliferation via induction of apoptosis as evidenced by sub-G1 analysis, annexin V-FITC staining, and increase in cleavage of procaspase-8, -3, and poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP). However, unlike our previously reported lanostane-type triterpenoid, pachymic acid, treatment of cells with PPAC was not accompanied by disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and increase in cleavage of procaspase-9. Further, PPC-induced apoptosis was inhibited by caspase-8 and pan caspase inhibitors but not by a caspase-9 inhibitor. Taken together, the results suggest that PPAC induces apoptosis through the death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathway where the activation of caspase-8 leads to the direct cleavage of execution caspases without the involvement of the mitochondria. Furthermore, suppressed PI3-kinase/Akt signal pathway and enhanced p53 activation after PPAC treatment suggests this to be an additional mechanism for apoptosis induction. Together, these results encourage further studies of PPAC as a promising candidate for lung cancer therapy.

S-Allylcysteine reduces breast tumor cell adhesion and invasion.

Previous studies show that aqueous garlic extract and its derivatives (e.g. S-allylcysteine [SAC]) prevent carcinogen-induced breast tumorigenesis. However, investigations testing the effect of SAC on later stages of breast tumorigenesis and/or metastasis have produced mixed results. Here we show that SAC significantly reduced anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells in a dose- and time-dependent fashion, and sub-lethal SAC-treatment altered mammary tumor cell adhesion and invasion through components of the extracellular matrix. We provide evidence to suggest increased expression of E-cadherin and reduced MMP-2 expression and activity are partially responsible for inhibition of mammary tumor cell invasion by SAC. Because E-cadherin and MMP-2 are important in cancer metastasis, these results suggest a link between SAC induction of E-cadherin and reduction of MMP2 activity with the inhibition of cell motility and invasion; thus providing evidence that events leading to breast cancer metastasis are repressed by sub-lethal SAC-treatment.

Pim-1 kinase expression during murine mammary development.

Pim-1 kinase phosphorylates substrates whose activities are linked to proliferation, survival, differentiation, and apoptosis. Although pim-1 is induced by hormones and cytokines, the hormonal control and contribution of Pim-1 to mammary gland development have not been evaluated. We examined Pim-1 expression in mammary cell lines, investigated whether Pim-1 levels could be altered in breast epithelia by mammogenic hormones, and evaluated Pim-1 expression during mammary development. We found that Pim-1 was elevated in most mammary carcinoma cell lines and progesterone increased Pim-1 protein to some extent in non-tumorigenic mammary epithelia. Pim-1 expression in situ was consistent with the documented profile of progesterone activity in mouse mammary glands. Pim-1 nuclear localization correlated with cytoplasmic distribution for its substrate, p21(CIP/Waf1), and we found that Pim-1 and p21 associate in vitro. Our results suggest that Pim-1 expression may be regulated by progesterone during mammary development and Pim-1 associates with p21 in mammary epithelial cells.