vitamin-k-1 and Glioma

The combined effects of anticancer drugs with nutritional factors against tumor cells have been reported previously. This study characterized the efficacy and possible mechanisms of the combination of sorafenib and vitamin K1 (VK1) on glioma cell lines.. We examined the effects of sorafenib, VK1 or their combination on the proliferation and apoptosis of human malignant glioma cell lines (BT325 and U251) by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) assay. The signaling pathway changes were detected by western blotting.. Sorafenib, as a single agent, showed antitumor activity in a dose-dependent manner in glioma cells, but the effects were more pronounced when used in combination with VK1 treatment. Sorafenib in combination with VK1 treatment produced marked potentiation of growth inhibition and apoptosis, and reduced expression of phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Furthermore, the expression levels of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 were significantly reduced.. Our findings indicated that VK1 enhanced the cytotoxicity effect of sorafenib through inhibiting the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in glioma cells, and suggested that sorafenib in combination with VK1 maybe a new therapeutic option for patients with gliomas.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Blotting, Western; Brain Neoplasms; Cell Proliferation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; Flow Cytometry; Glioma; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; Niacinamide; Phenylurea Compounds; raf Kinases; Signal Transduction; Sorafenib; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vitamin K 1; Vitamins

Glioblastoma multiforme is characterized as highly invasive and rapidly growing astrocytomas, and scientists have sought for efficient treatment against malignant gliomas for a long time. Therefore, we compared the respond of rat glioma (C6) and glioblastoma multiforme cells derived from two patients to vitamins K1, K2 and K3. The cells were exposed to 100, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 microM of vitamins K1 and K2, and 1, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 microM of vitamin K3 for 24 hours in an incubator atmosphere of 5% CO2, 37 degrees C and 100% humidity. Cell viability was estimated by MTT assay. Vitamin K1 showed no growth effect on all the glioma cells examined. Vitamin K2 did not cause any change in number of C6, however induced growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner on glioblastoma multiforme. The IC50 values of vitamin K2 were 960 microM and 970 microM for glioblastoma multiforme, respectively. Vitamin K3 had also growth inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner on both C6 and glioblastoma multiforme. The IC50 values were 41 microM, 24 microM and 23 microM for vitamin K3, respectively. We concluded that vitamin K3 is more effective than vitamin K2 for inhibition of cancer cell growth, and might have an alternative value as an anticancer drug against glioblastoma multiforme.

Topics: Animals; Cell Proliferation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Humans; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vitamin K 1; Vitamin K 2; Vitamin K 3

Congeners of vitamin K have been found to inhibit growth in various rodent and human tumor cells, but the mechanisms of the inhibitory action are still not well understood. To investigate the modes of actions of vitamin K, we used several vitamin K analogs and examined their cytotoxic effect for human glioma cell lines RBR17T and U251. The analogs included vitamin K1 (VK1), vitamin K2 (VK2), vitamin K3 (VK3), and geranylgeraniol (GGO) which form an unsaturated side chain of VK2. Cell viability was estimated by MTT assay. DNA fragmentation was demonstrated by gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. In order to study the mechanism of apoptosis, we measured the changes of intracellular reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) and Fas/APO-1 expression by flow cytometry. The results showed: (1) VK2, VK3, and GGO inhibited cell growth; (2) VK3 had a more potent cytotoxic effect than VK2, and VK3 enhanced the cytotoxic effect of antitumor agents (ACNU and IFN-beta) in RBR17T cells; (3) VK2, VK3, and GGO induce apoptosis: (4) VK3 increased the expression of Fas/APO-1 although VK2 and GGO did not increase its expression in glioma cells; (5) VK3 increased the production of intracellular ROI. Catalase and reduced glutathione (GSH) inhibited production of intracellular ROI and antagonized inhibition of cell-growth induced by VK3, but failed to antagonize that of VK2 and GGO. We hypothesize that VK3 induces apoptosis by promoting the generation of intracellular ROI and Fas/APO-1 expression. On the other hand, VK2 and GGO induce apoptosis but most likely by some other unknown pathway.

Topics: Antifibrinolytic Agents; Apoptosis; Catalase; Cell Division; Cytotoxins; Diterpenes; DNA Fragmentation; fas Receptor; Glioma; Glutathione; Hemostatics; Humans; Peroxides; Reactive Oxygen Species; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vitamin K; Vitamin K 1; Vitamin K 2