sarcophytol-a and Skin-Neoplasms

Topics: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinogens; Catechin; Diterpenes; Humans; Mice; Sesquiterpenes; Skin Neoplasms

A synthetic compound named canventol, 2-isopropyl-4-isopropylidencyclohex-2-ene-1-ol, inhibited tumor promotion of okadaic acid on mouse skin initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in two-stage carcinogenesis experiments more strongly than sarcophytol A, isolated from a soft coral, although canventol has a simpler structure than sarcophytol A. Their mechanisms of action were studied based on our recent evidence that tumor necrosis factor alpha release induced by okadaic acid is an essential mechanism of tumor promotion. Canventol inhibited mouse tumor necrosis factor alpha release from BALB/3T3 cells less strongly than sarcophytol A, indicating that canventol has additional activity. Canventol inhibited isoprenylation of proteins with various molecular weights, such as M(r) 22,000, 17,000, and 13,000, whereas sarcophytol A did not show significant inhibition. Thus, a potent anticarcinogenic activity of canventol is mediated through the inhibitory bifunctions of tumor necrosis factor alpha release and of protein isoprenylation. Since canventol is less toxic to cells than sarcophytol A, these bifunctions are useful markers for screening for new cancer chemopreventive agents.

Topics: 3T3 Cells; 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Cyclohexanols; Diterpenes; Ethers, Cyclic; Female; Mevalonic Acid; Mice; Okadaic Acid; Protein Prenylation; Skin Neoplasms; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

EGCG, the main constituent of green tea, and sarcophytols A and B, isolated from a soft coral, inhibited tumor promotion by teleocidin in a two-stage carcinogenesis experiment on mouse skin. EGCG and sarcophytols showed inhibition of tumor development by chemical carcinogenesis. A possibility of developing these compounds as cancer chemopreventives for human beings is discussed.

Topics: 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; Animals; Catechin; Cnidaria; Cocarcinogenesis; Diterpenes; Female; Flavonoids; Lyngbya Toxins; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental; Mice; Skin Neoplasms; Tea

Sarcophytols A and B, isolated from a soft coral, Sarcophyton glaucum, are cembrane-type diterpenes with different numbers of hydroxyl groups. Sarcophytols A and B inhibited tumor promotion by teleocidin in two-stage carcinogenesis experiments on mouse skin. The inhibitory effect of sarcophytol A was demonstrated with two different initiating doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA): 50 micrograms (experiment 1) and 100 micrograms (experiment 2). In experiment 1, three groups of mice were treated with DMBA, and then twice a week with doses (1.6 micrograms, 16 micrograms, and 82 micrograms) of sarcophytol A followed by 2.5 micrograms teleocidin. In week 25, the incidences of tumors in these groups were only 7.1%, 20.0%, and 13.3%, respectively, whereas that in the control group treated with DMBA plus teleocidin was 53.3%. Moreover, at this time, the average numbers of tumors per mouse in these groups were 0.1, 0.3, and 0.3, respectively, while that in the control group was 2.1. In experiment 2 an amount of sarcophytol A (1.6 micrograms) or B (1.7 micrograms) equimolar to 2.5 micrograms teleocidin was applied twice a week, as in experiment 1, and results showed that sarcophytol B also inhibited tumor promotion by teleocidin. Both sarcophytols A and B caused delay in onset of tumor formation, and reduced the percentage of tumor-bearing mice and the average number of tumors per mouse. The effective concentrations of sarcophytols A and B were in the microgram range with an equimolar amount of teleocidin.

Topics: 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinogens; Diterpenes; Female; Lyngbya Toxins; Mice; Skin Neoplasms; Structure-Activity Relationship