Inhibition of Topoisomerase IIα and Induction of Apoptosis in Gastric Cancer Cells by 19-Triisopropyl Andrographolide

Monger, Adeep; Boonmuen, Nittaya; Suksen, Kanoknetr; Saeeng, Rungnapha; Kasemsuk, Teerapich; Piyachaturawat, Pawinee; Saengsawang, Witchuda; Chairoungdua, Arthit

doi:10.22034/APJCP.2017.18.10.2845

Inhibition of Topoisomerase IIα and Induction of Apoptosis in Gastric Cancer Cells by 19-Triisopropyl Andrographolide

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Toxicology Graduate Program, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

² Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

³ Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, Thailand.

⁴ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University, Chanthaburi 22000, Thailand.

10.22034/APJCP.2017.18.10.2845

Abstract

Gastric cancer is the most common cancer in Eastern Asia. Increasing chemoresistance and general systemic toxicities have complicated the current chemotherapy leading to an urgent need of more effective agents. The present study reported a potent DNA topoisomerase IIα inhibitory activity of an andrographolide analogue (19-triisopropyl andrographolide, analogue-6) in gastric cancer cells; MKN-45, and AGS cells. The analogue was potently cytotoxic to both gastric cancer cell lines with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 values) of 6.3±0.7 μM, and 1.7±0.05 μM at 48 h for MKN-45, and AGS cells, respectively. It was more potent than the parent andrographolide and the clinically used, etoposide with the IC50 values of >50 μM in MKN-45 and 11.3±2.9 μM in AGS cells for andrographolide and 28.5±4.4 μM in MKN-45 and 4.08±0.5 μM in AGS cells for etoposide. Analogue-6 at 2 μM significantly inhibited DNA topoisomerase IIα enzyme in AGS cells, induced DNA damage, activated cleaved PARP-1, and Caspase3 leading to late cellular apoptosis. Interestingly, the expression of tumor suppressor p53 was not activated. These results show the importance of 19-triisopropyl-andrographolide in its emerging selectivity to primary target on topoisomerase IIα enzyme, inducing DNA damage and apoptosis by p53- independent mechanism. Thereby, the results provide insights of the potential of 19-triisopropyl andrographolide as an anticancer agent for gastric cancer. The chemical transformation of andrographolide is a promising strategy in drug discovery of a novel class of anticancer drugs from bioactive natural products.

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