cajanol and Prostatic-Neoplasms

In the present study, the main natural estrogen-agonist/antagonist from Pigeonpea roots was studied by the estrogen receptor α-dependent signaling pathway in human prostate cancer cell. First, the natural products with estrogenic activity in Pigeonpea roots were screened by pER8-GFP transgenic Arabidopsis, and cajanol (5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)-7-methoxychroman-4-one) was confirmed as the active compound. Further study showed that cajanol significantly arrested the cell cycle in the G1 and G2/M phase and induced nuclei condensation, fragmentation and the formation of apoptotic bodies. Western blotting showed that cajanol modulated the ERα-dependent PI3K pathway and induced the activation of GSK3 and CyclinD1 closely following the profile of PI3K activity. Based on above results, we proposed a mechanism through which cajanol could inhibit survival and proliferation of estrogen-responsive cells (PC-3 cells) by interfering with an ERα-associated PI3K pathway, following a process that could be dependent of the nuclear functions of the ERα. Above all, we conclude that cajanol represents a valuable natural phytoestrogen source and may potentially be applicable in health food industry.

Topics: Arabidopsis; Cajanus; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Cyclin D1; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Humans; Isoflavones; Male; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Phytoestrogens; Plant Roots; Plants, Genetically Modified; Prostatic Neoplasms; Signal Transduction