xanthoangelol and Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor in children. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with advanced neuroblastoma is still very poor. Our recent study showed that xanthoangelol, a major chalcone constituent of the stem exudates of Angelica keiskei, induced caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. However, details of the mechanism underlying its apoptotic action are still unclear. Here we show that xanthoangelol triggers oxidative stress by generation of reactive oxygen species and induces apoptosis through release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-9 in IMR-32 cells. Pretreatment with an antioxidant, vitamin E, prevented the increase of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis induced by xanthoangelol. Proteomic analysis using 2-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-MS revealed that DJ-1 protein was involved in xanthoangelol-induced apoptosis. DJ-1 responded to its oxidative stress status by being oxidized itself. Furthermore, DJ-1 was down-regulated by xanthoangelol, leading to loss of antioxidant function and acceleration of apoptosis. We also show that xanthoangelol has a cytotoxic effect on drug-resistant LA-N-1 and NB-39 cells as well as drug-sensitive IMR-32 and SK-N-SH cells. These findings suggest that xanthoangelol induces apoptosis by increasing reactive oxygen species and targeting DJ-1, and such mechanism may be an effective therapeutic approach for advanced neuroblastoma.

Topics: Angelica; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Benzimidazoles; Blotting, Western; Brain Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Chalcone; Down-Regulation; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Neoplasm Proteins; Neuroblastoma; Plant Stems; Proteomics; Reactive Oxygen Species; RNA, Small Interfering; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Subcellular Fractions; Tetrazolium Salts; Thiazoles

Xanthoangelol, a major chalcone constituent of the stem exudates of Angelica keiskei, was evaluated for cell toxicity and apoptosis-inducing activity in human neuroblastoma (IMR-32) and leukemia (Jurkat) cells. Xanthoangelol concentration-dependently reduced the survival rates of both cell lines as revealed by the trypan blue exclusion test. Early apoptosis induced by 4 h incubation with xanthoangelol was detected using flow cytometry after double-staining with annexin V and propidium iodide (PI). Western blot analysis showed that xanthoangelol markedly reduced the level of precursor caspase-3 and increased the level of cleaved caspase-3, but Bax and Bcl-2 proteins were not affected. These results suggest that xanthoangelol induces apoptotic cell death by activatation of caspase-3 in neuroblastoma and leukemia cells through a mechanism that does not involve Bax/Bcl-2 signal transduction. Therefore, xanthoangelol may be applicable as an effective drug for treatment of neuroblastoma and leukemia.

Topics: Angelica; Apoptosis; Caspase 3; Caspases; Chalcone; Enzyme Activation; Humans; Leukemia; Neuroblastoma; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Tumor Cells, Cultured