1. Cell-cycle specific cytotoxicity mediated by rearranged ent-kaurene diterpenoids isolated from Parinari curatellifolia.
- Author
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Lee IS, Shamon LA, Chai HB, Chagwedera TE, Besterman JM, Farnsworth NR, Cordell GA, Pezzuto JM, and Kinghorn AD
- Subjects
- Africa, Cell Division drug effects, Cell Line, Cysteine metabolism, Diterpenes isolation & purification, Diterpenes toxicity, Flow Cytometry, G2 Phase drug effects, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Medicine, Traditional, Mercaptoethanol metabolism, Molecular Structure, Neoplasms metabolism, Spectrum Analysis, Cell Cycle drug effects, Diterpenes pharmacology, Plants chemistry
- Abstract
Two structurally novel cytotoxic ent-kaurene diterpenoids, 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin and 13-hydroxy-15-oxozoapatlin, were isolated from the root bark of Parinari curatellifolia, together with the known compound, 15-oxozoapatlin, on the basis of bioactivity-guided chromatographic fractionation and found to demonstrate broad-spectrum cytotoxic activity against a panel of cultured human cancer cell lines. The structures of these compounds were determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data. The presence of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl group in 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin suggested that the cytotoxic potential of this compound could be mediated through reaction with cellular nucleophiles by means of a Michael-type addition. The compound 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin reacted with the nucleophiles L-cysteine and beta-mercaptoethanol. The adduct with beta-mercaptoethanol was isolated, structurally characterized and found to be approximately 5-fold less cytotoxic than 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin itself. The compound 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin did not interact with DNA nor guanosine, and it was not mutagenic for Salmonella typhimurium strain TM677. The effects of 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin on the growth of human cancer cells were analyzed utilizing cultured ZR-75-1 breast cancer cells. Biosynthesis of DNA, RNA and protein was reduced in treated cells, and accumulation at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle was observed. The compound 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin did not mediate antimitotic activity with dibutyryl cAMP-treated cultured astrocytoma cells, suggesting that the cell cycle effect is G2 specific. No antitumor activity was observed when athymic mice carrying KB cells were treated with 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin. These data indicate that the cytotoxic activity of 13-methoxy-15-oxozoapatlin is mediated in part by covalent reaction with a cellular component (such as sulfhydryl-containing protein) by means of a Michael-type addition, and this results in the blockage of cell-cycle progression.
- Published
- 1996
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