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| Author(s): |
Carla Abdo Brohem
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ) |
| Defense date: | 2010-08-09 |
| Examining board members: |
Silvya Stuchi Maria Engler;
Enilza Maria Espreafico;
Gilles Landman;
Nadja Cristhina de Souza Pinto Lardner;
Ana Paula de Melo Loureiro
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| Advisor: | Silvya Stuchi Maria Engler; Cristina Dislich Ropke |
| Abstract | |
Melanoma is the most agressive form of skin cancer, it arises from the pigment-producing cells, melanocytes. These may be cutaneous or non-cutaneous (found in the lining membrane of the eye choroid, the meninges, and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts). The increased incidence of malignant melanomas in recent decades, its high mortality rate and high resistance to most therapies has been a major challenge to the scientific community. It\'s particularly difficult to induce cell death by apoptosis in response to chemotherapy and other external stimuli, which may provide a selective advantage for tumor progression, metastasis formation and resistance to therapy in melanoma. Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been recognized for a long time as important triggers and modulators of apoptosis, but the exact role of oxidative stress in the apoptotic process is still a matter of discussion. Antioxidants tend to possess properties to regulate transduction signals that may not be related to their ability to inactivate oxidants. Under certain conditions, in a strong oxidizing environment where there is lack of support to regenerate (reduce) oxidized antioxidants, some antioxidants can assume characteristics of pro-oxidant. The 4-nerolidylcatechol (4-NC) is a potent antioxidant that is extracted from the plant Pothomorphe umbellata L. Miq. Its citotoxic potential has been demonstrated on melanoma tumor cell lines and on normal human fibroblasts. This compound was able to induce cell cycle arrest in G1, decrease the activity of MMPs and cell death by apoptosis. Subsequent studies showed that the mechanism of action of this compound starts with the formation and accumulation of ROS, and inhibition of the enzyme catalase. The 4-NC was able to induce apoptosis via mitochondria, increasing the levels of p53, Noxa, Mcl1, cleaving Bax and Bid and inducing cleavage of caspases 3 and 9. Furthermore, in a model of artificial skin containing melanoma 4-NC was able to contain the invasion of melanoma to the dermal part of the skin. Proteins keratin 10 and 14, involucrin and S100 were used as control of differentiation. Part of this invasion is restrained due to TIMP-2 activation and the inhibition of MMP-2 and -9 activation by 4-NC. Concluding, this compound can be used as a potential chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of human melanoma. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 06/50479-7 - Action of Pothomorphe umbellata extract on the extracellular matrix components in the skin healing process: in vivo and in vitro models |
| Grantee: | Carla Abdo Brohem |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct) |