apigenin and Melanoma

Chamomile, parsley, and celery represent major botanical sources of apigenin, a well-known flavone with chemopreventive properties. The aim of this study was to assess the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory potential of methanol extracts obtained from chamomile, parsley, and celery collected from Romania, as well as the biological activity against A375 human melanoma and human dendritic cells. Results have shown that all three extracts are rich in polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids, and they generate a radical scavenger capacity, iron chelation potential, as well as lipoxygenase inhibition capacity. Chamomile and celery extracts present weak antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties in the set experimental conditions, while parsley extract draws out significant pro-apoptotic potential against A375 human melanoma cells. Parsley and chamomile extracts affected the fibroblast-like morphology of the screened tumor cell line. On the other hand, chamomile and celery extracts abrogated the expansion of LPS-activated dendritic cells, while the metabolic activity was attenuated by stimulation with celery extract; chamomile and parsley extracts had no effect upon this parameter. Chamomile and parsley extracts incubation with naive dendritic cells did not trigger cytokine secretion (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10), but celery extract stimulation significantly reduced the anti-inflammatory, cytokine IL-10.

Topics: Apium; Apoptosis; Caspase 3; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Chamomile; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dendritic Cells; Flavonoids; Free Radical Scavengers; Humans; Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; Melanoma; Petroselinum; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Polyphenols; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Hyaluronic acid is a proteoglycan present in the extracellular matrix and is important for the maintenance of tissue architecture. Depolymerization of hyaluronic acid may facilitate tumor invasion. In addition, oligosaccharides of hyaluronic acid have been reported to induce angiogenesis. We report here that a hyaluronidase similar to the one on human sperm is expressed by metastatic human melanoma, colon carcinoma, and glioblastoma cell lines and by tumor biopsies from patients with colorectal carcinomas, but not by tissues from normal colon. Moreover, angiogenesis is induced by hyaluronidase+ tumor cells but not hyaluronidase- tumor cells and can be blocked by an inhibitor of hyaluronidase. Tumor cells thus use hyaluronidase as one of the "molecular saboteurs" to depolymerize hyaluronic acid to facilitate invasion. As a consequence, breakdown products of hyaluronic acid can further promote tumor establishment by inducing angiogenesis. Hyaluronidase on tumor cells may provide a target for anti-neoplastic drugs.

Topics: Animals; Base Sequence; Cell Division; Chamomile; Colonic Neoplasms; Cornea; DNA Primers; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Flavonoids; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Humans; Hyaluronoglucosaminidase; Melanoma; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Molecular Sequence Data; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Oils, Volatile; Plants, Medicinal; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Time Factors; Transcription, Genetic; Transplantation, Heterologous; Tumor Cells, Cultured