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| Author(s): |
Giovanna Barbarini Longato
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2014-08-28 |
| Examining board members: |
João Ernesto de Carvalho;
Denise Gonçalves Priolli;
Ana Carolina Santos de Souza;
Karina Gottardello Zecchin;
Karin Juliane Pelizzaro Rocha
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| Advisor: | Mary Ann Foglio; João Ernesto de Carvalho |
| Abstract | |
Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. The loss of normal cell growth control is the main event in the development of cancer and includes specific steps known as cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Natural compounds are good source of new anticancer agents, being the investigation into cell death mechanisms involved in this activity a significant endeavor. From the crude dichloromethane extract of Piper regnellii leaves two compounds were obtained: eupomatenoid-5 and apiole. Eupomatenoid-5 is a neolignan whose in vitro (tumor cell line culture) and in vivo (Ehrlich solid tumor) anticancer activity was previously reported by our group. Among the cancer cell lines most sensible to eupomatenoid-5 treatment, MCF-7 (breast) and 786-0 (kidney) were chosen to continue the cell death mechanism of action studies. The results obtained suggest that eupomatenoid-5 is a multiple-target compound. Our findings support the possibility that eupomatenoid-5 might be acting in both cell death via: apoptosis in MCF-7 cell line and programmed necroptosis in 786-0 cell line. Apiole, the other compound isolated, is a phenylpropanoid and a calcium channel blocker. Recent pharmacological studies have reported the ability of several calcium channel blockers to reverse the multidrug resistance (MDR) and, therefore, the effect of apiole on P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the main protein involved in MDR, was evaluated. Apiole did not inhibit P-gp and, moreover, presented low cytotoxic activity for the most tumor cell lines. Nonetheless, the combined therapy with chemotherapies (doxorubicin and vincristine) was efficient in potentializing their antiproliferative action in tumor cell lines with or without resistance phenotype, suggesting synergic effect. Furthermore, apiole potentiated the antiproliferative activity of eupomatenoid-5 and this association reduced the in vivo tumor cell quantity with no side effects. The results encourage further studies to be developed with the aim to determine the mechanisms of action involved in the anticancer activity of eupomatenoid-5 and in the MDR reversion by apiole (AU) | |