Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) on N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats

The effect of ethanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna bark on carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes of N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocellular carcinoma in Wistar albino rats were studied. The plasma and liver glycolytic enzymes such as hexokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase, aldolase were significantly increased in cancer induced animals while glyconeogenic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphatase was decreased. These enzymes were reverted significantly to near normal range in treated animals after oral administration of T. arjuna for 28 days. The modulation of the enzymes constitute the depletion of energy metabolism leads to inhibition of cancer growth. This inhibitory activity may be due to the anticancer activity of constituents present in the ethanolic extract of T. arjuna.     

Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase triggers apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via down-regulation of protein kinase C-epsilon

Previous studies have shown that human prostate cancer cells constitutively generate 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) metabolites from arachidonic acid, and inhibition of 5-LOX blocks production of 5-LOX metabolites and triggers apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. This apoptosis is prevented by exogenous metabolites of 5-LOX, suggesting an essential role of 5-LOX metabolites in the survival of prostate cancer cells. However, downstream signaling mechanisms which mediate the survival-promoting effects of 5-LOX metabolites in prostate cancer cells are still unknown. Recently, we reported that MK591, a specific inhibitor of 5-LOX activity, induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells without inhibition of Akt, or ERK, two well-characterized regulators of pro-survival mechanisms, suggesting the existence of an Akt and ERK-independent survival mechanism in prostate cancer cells regulated by 5-LOX. Here, we report that 5-LOX inhibition-induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells occurs via rapid inactivation of protein kinase C-epsilon (PKCε), and that exogenous 5-LOX metabolites prevent both 5-LOX inhibition-induced down-regulation of PKCε and induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, pre-treatment of prostate cancer cells with diazoxide (a chemical activator of PKCε), or KAE1-1 (a cell-permeable, octa-peptide specific activator of PKCε) prevents 5-LOX inhibition-induced apoptosis, which indicates that inhibition of 5-LOX triggers apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via down-regulation of PKCε. Altogether, these findings suggest that metabolism of arachidonic acid by 5-LOX activity promotes survival of prostate cancer cells via signaling through PKCε, a pro-survival serine/threonine kinase.     

Antioxidant activity of Terminalia arjuna bark extract on N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats

Role of oxidative stress and Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase in the cytotoxicity of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) on Ehrlich Ascites tumor (EAT) cells has been studied. HCH caused dose dependent cell death as measured by trypan blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage from the cells. HCH induced oxidative stress in EAT cells which was characterized by glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation (LPO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and inhibition of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Protective effect of antioxidants on HCH induced oxidative stress was assessed, among the antioxidants used only quercetin inhibited HCH-induced LPO and ROS production as well as cell death whereas α -tocopherol, ascorbic acid and BHA inhibited LPO but not cell death. Inhibition of membrane bound Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase was a characteristic feature of HCH cytotoxicity in EAT cells. Experimental evidence indicates that HCH-induced cell death involves oxidative stress due to ROS production and membrane perturbation in EAT cells.     

MK591, a Second Generation Leukotriene Biosynthesis Inhibitor,Prevents Invasion and Induces Apoptosis in the Bone-Invading C4-2B Human Prostate Cancer Cells: Implications for the Treatment of Castration-Resistant,Bone-Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a major clinical challenge for which no cure is currently available primarily because of the lack of proper understanding about appropriate molecular target(s). Previously we observed that inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-Lox) activity induces apoptosis in some types of prostate cancer cells, suggesting an important role of 5-Lox in the viability of prostate cancer cells. However, nothing is known about the role of 5-Lox in the survival of castration-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer cells. Thus, we tested the effects of MK591, a second-generation, specific inhibitor of 5-Lox activity, on the viability and metastatic characteristics of CRPC cells. We observed that MK591 effectively kills the bone-invading C4-2B human prostate cancer cells (which bear characteristics of CRPC), but does not affect normal, non-cancer fibroblasts (which do not express 5-Lox) in the same experimental conditions. We also observed that MK591 dramatically inhibits the in vitro invasion and soft-agar colony formation of C4-2B cells. Interestingly, we found that treatment with MK591 dramatically down-regulates the expression of c-Myc and its targets at sub-lethal doses. In light of frequent over-activation of c-Myc in a spectrum of aggressive cancers (including CRPC), and the challenges associated with inhibition of c-Myc (because of its non-enzymatic nature), our novel findings of selective killing, and blockade of invasive and soft-agar colony-forming abilities of the castration-resistant, bone-metastatic C4-2B prostate cancer cells by MK591, open up a new avenue to attack CRPC cells for better management of advanced prostate cancer while sparing normal, non-cancer body cells.