Open AccessCepharanthine exerts antitumor activity on cholangiocarcinoma by inhibiting NF‐κB
Author(s) -
Seubwai Wunchana,
Vaeteewoottacharn Kulthida,
Hiyoshi Masateru,
Suzu Shinya,
Puapairoj Anucha,
Wongkham Chairisi,
Okada Seiji,
Wongkham Sopit
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2010.01572.x
Subject(s) - apoptosis , tunel assay , immunohistochemistry , cancer research , cell growth , chemotherapy , nf κb , pharmacology , nfkb1 , medicine , biology , chemistry , pathology , transcription factor , biochemistry , gene
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a major cause of cancer deaths in northeast Thailand. It is aggressive, highly metastatic, and responds poorly to traditional chemotherapy. We demonstrated the potential for Cepharanthine (CEP), a biscoclaurine alkaloid extracted from Stephania cepharantha , to treat CCA. CEP significantly inhibited growth of human CCA cell lines in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner, regardless of the histologic type of tumor origin. Increasing cell apoptosis via caspase‐3 and capase‐9 activation was demonstrated in CEP‐treated cells. We found that CEP controlled the growth of CCA cells through nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) inactivation by inhibiting nuclear translocation. CEP treatment effectively reduced tumor size in CCA‐inoculated mice without serious side effects. CEP also increased cell apoptosis in primary histocultures of CCA patients’ tissues; this was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry using TUNEL staining. Our results suggest that CEP possesses therapeutic potential against human CCA. ( Cancer Sci 2010)