5-3--dihydroxy-3-6-7-8-4--pentamethoxyflavone and Neoplasms

We sought to determine the molecular basis for the anticancer activities of 5,3'-dihydroxy-3,6,7,8,4'-pentamethoxyflavone (DH-PMF), isolated from Gardenia obtusifolia traditionally used in Thailand for a variety of ailments. As little as 1 μM DH-PMF inhibited the proliferation of prostate, colon, kidney, lung, head and neck, pancreas, breast, leukemia, and myeloma cancer cell lines. DH-PMF also suppressed the colony-forming ability of tumor cells, with 50% inhibition occurring at a dose less than 10 nM. DH-PMF induced G(2)/M and subG(1) cell cycle arrest, increased the levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p27(KIP1), and reduced the expression of cyclin D1, CDC2, and c-MYC. Furthermore, DH-PMF inhibited AKT and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) activation, reduced cell survival proteins, and induced apoptosis, as indicated by annexin V staining, TUNEL assay, and activation of caspase-8, -9 and -3. Overall, our results demonstrate that DH-PMF induces suppression of cell proliferation through modulation of AKT-GSK3β pathways and induction of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Blotting, Western; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Separation; Flavonoids; Flow Cytometry; Gardenia; Humans; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Neoplasms; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves; Signal Transduction; Thailand