We isolated a
coumarin compound
decursin (C(19)H(20)O(5); molecular weight 328) from Korean angelica (Angelica gigas) root and characterized it by spectroscopy. Here, for the first time, we observed that
decursin (25-100 micromol/L) treatment for 24 to 96 hours strongly inhibits growth and induces death in human prostate
carcinoma DU145, PC-3, and LNCaP cells. Furthermore, we observed that
decursinol [where (CH(3))(2)-C=CH-
COO- side chain of
decursin is substituted with -
OH] has much lower effects compared with
decursin, suggesting a possible structure-activity relationship.
Decursin-induced growth inhibition was associated with a strong G(1) arrest (P < 0.001) in DU145 and LNCaP cells, and G(1), S as well as G(2)-M arrests depending upon doses and treatment times in PC-3 cells. Comparatively,
decursin was nontoxic to human prostate epithelial PWR-1E cells and showed only moderate growth inhibition and G(1) arrest. Consistent with G(1) arrest in DU145 cells,
decursin strongly increased
protein levels of Cip1/p21 but showed a moderate increase in Kip1/p27 with a decrease in
cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK); CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, and
cyclin D1, and inhibited CDK2, CDK4, CDK6,
cyclin D1, and
cyclin E kinase activity, and increased binding of CDK inhibitor (CDKI) with CDK.
Decursin-caused cell death was associated with an increase in apoptosis (P < 0.05-0.001) and cleaved
caspase-9,
caspase-3, and
poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; however, pretreatment with all-
caspases inhibitor (
z-VAD-fmk) only partially reversed
decursin-induced apoptosis, suggesting the involvement of both
caspase-dependent and
caspase-independent pathways. These findings suggest the novel anticancer efficacy of
decursin mediated via induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis selectively in human prostate
carcinoma cells.