10-hydroxygambogic-acid and gambogic-acid

Gambogic acid (1) is a cytotoxic caged xanthone derived from the resin of Garcinia hanburyi. Compound 1 selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells, at least partially, by targeting the stress response to reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the molecular mechanism of ROS toxicity stimulated by 1 remains poorly understood. In this study, mass spectrometric and biochemical pharmacological approaches were used that resulted in the identification of both cytosolic thioredoxin (TRX-1) and mitochondrial thioredoxin (TRX-2) as the molecular targets of 1. The results obtained showed that 1 deactivates TRX-1/2 proteins by covalent binding to the active cysteine residues in the functional domain via Michael addition reactions. Since both TRX-1 and TRX-2 play key roles in regulating the redox signaling of cancer cells, the present findings may shed light on the relationship between protein binding and cellular ROS accumulation induced by 1. This provides support for the current clinical trials of gambogic acid (1) being conducted alone or in combination with other agents that appear to increase ROS generation in order to selectively kill cancer cells.

Topics: Cytosol; Humans; Insulin; Mitochondria; Molecular Structure; Reactive Oxygen Species; Thioredoxins; Xanthones

Gambogic acid (GA) is a promising natural anticancer candidate. Although the anticancer activity of GA has been well demonstrated, information regarding the metabolic fate of GA is limited. Previous studies suggested that GA is mainly excreted into intestinal tract in rats through bile after intravenous administration, whereas only traces appeared in the feces, suggesting that GA is metabolized extensively in the intestine. However, there has been no report about the intestinal metabolism of GA either in animals or humans. In this study, large amounts of two sulfonic acid metabolites of GA were found in the feces samples of rats after intravenous administration, and their structures were identified as 10-α sulfonic acid GA and 10-β sulfonic acid GA by comparison of the retention times and spectral data with those of synthesized reference substances using liquid chromatography-diode array detector-tandem mass spectrometry. This rare intestinal metabolic pathway mainly involves Michael addition of the sulfite ion to the 9,10 carbon-carbon double bond of α,β-unsaturated ketone. In addition, a more detailed metabolic profile in rats is proposed, according to the results of in vitro and in vivo studies. It was found that GA can be metabolized by a variety of routes, including monooxidation, hydration, glutathionylation, glucuronidation, and glucosidation in the liver of rats. These findings provide information on the major metabolic soft spot of GA in the intestine and liver of rats, which is not only useful in the future human metabolic study of this compound but also of value in the metabolic studies of GA analogs.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Bile; Biological Products; Feces; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestines; Liver; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Microsomes, Liver; Rats; Xanthones

Gambogic acid (GA), a promising anticancer candidate, is a polyprenylated xanthone abundant in the resin of Garcinia morella and Garcinia hanburyi. The major circulating metabolite of GA in human, 10-hydroxygambogic acid (10-OHGA), was identified by comparison of the retention time and mass spectra with those of reference standard using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The reference standard of 10-OHGA was isolated from bile samples of rats after intravenous injection of GA injection, and its structure was confirmed by NMR. Then, a selective and sensitive method was developed for the quantitative determination of this metabolite in human plasma. After liquid-liquid extraction by ethyl acetate, the analyte and the internal standard were separated on a Sepax HPC18 column (100 mm x 2.1 mm i.d., 3.0 microm) with a mobile phase of 10mM ammonium acetate water solution containing 0.1% formic acid-acetonitrile (20:80, v/v). The detection was performed on a single quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 3-2000 ng/mL for 10-OHGA. The developed quantification method can now be used for the pharmacokinetic and pharmacological studies of 10-OHGA after intravenous infusion of GA injection in human.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Bile; Chromatography, Liquid; Drug Stability; Humans; Rats; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Xanthones

Gambogic acid (GA), a promising anticancer candidate, is a polyprenylated xanthone abundant in the resin of Garcinia morella and Garcinia hanburyi. Electron capture-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (EC- APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) techniques, both in the negative ion mode, were evaluated regarding ionization, fragmentation patterns and sensitivity for simultaneous liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of GA and its main circulating metabolite, 10-hydroxygambogic acid (10-OHGA) in dog plasma. Both analytes underwent extensive in-source fragmentation in EC-APCI, which was not desirable for reliable quantification of these analytes, whereas the substitution of ESI for EC-APCI almost eliminated the source instability of both analytes. Negative ion ESI was, therefore, chosen for the development of an LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of these analytes. After protein precipitation by acetonitrile, all analytes were separated on a Luna C18 HST column (50 x 2.0 mm i.d., 2.5 microm) with a mobile phase of 20 mmol L(-1) ammonium acetate water solution containing 0.2% acetic acid:acetonitrile (18:82, v/v). The detection was performed on a tandem mass spectrometer using selective reaction monitoring mode. Calibration curves were linear over the range of 10-6000 ng mL(-1) for GA and 3-2000 ng mL(-1) for 10-OHGA. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetics study of GA injection in six beagle dogs.

Topics: Acetonitriles; Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dogs; Female; Linear Models; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Temperature; Xanthones

Gambogic acid (GBA), the main component of Gamboge, possesses significant anti-tumour activity. Due to its structural complexity, little is known about GBA metabolism. Here, we investigate the metabolism of GBA in vivo in rat bile. Identification of the metabolites formed was elucidated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-vis detection, HPLC/ion trap electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, as well as HPLC/nuclear magnetic resonance. Four main metabolites were determined. Two phase I metabolites, 10-hydroxygambogic acid and 9,10-epoxygambogic acid, were oxides on the 9,10-olefinic bond of GBA. The others phase II metabolites, were 9,10-epoxygambogic acid-30-O-glucuronide and 10-hydroxylgambogic acid-30-O-glucuronide.

Topics: Animals; Bile; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Structure; Rats; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Xanthones