Antitumor-promoting activity of lignans: inhibition of human cytomegalovirus IE gene expression.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Chemoprevention is a promising new approach to cancer prevention. Since the beginning of chemoprevention studies, short-term in vitro models used in the study of carcinogenesis have been applied in the identification of antitumor-promoting agents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The lignans threo-4,4'-dihydroxy-3-methoxylignan, (-)-dihydroguaiaretic acid, 4'-hydroxy-3,3',4-trimethoxylignan, 3,3',4,4'-tetramethoxylignan, 4,4'-diacetyl-3,3'-dimethoxylignan, talaumidin, heliobuphthalmin, (-)-dihydro-cubebin, and hinokinin were evaluated for their ability to inhibit human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) IE-antigen expression in lung cancer cells (A549).

RESULTS:

Most of the evaluated compounds reduced IE-antigen expression of HCMV, the best result being obtained with 4,4'-dihydroxy-3-methoxylignan. However, a dose-dependent significant increase of IE-antigen expression was found for the derivative (-)-dihydrocubebin.

CONCLUSION:

The results of this study suggest that some of these lignans might be valuable as potential cancer chemopreventive agents.

• Authors: Rozália Pusztai, Marta Abrantes, Julianna Serly, Julia Sherly, Noélia Duarte, Joseph Molnar, Maria-José U Ferreira
• Journal: Anticancer research (Anticancer Res) Vol. 30 Issue 2 Pg. 451-4 (Feb 2010) ISSN: 1791-7530 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 20332453 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus
• Immediate-Early Proteins
• Lignans
• Plant Extracts

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (drug therapy, pathology, virology)
• Antineoplastic Agents (pharmacology)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cytomegalovirus (drug effects)
• Cytomegalovirus Infections (drug therapy, pathology, virology)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Viral (drug effects)
• Humans
• Immediate-Early Proteins (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Immunoenzyme Techniques
• Lignans (pharmacology)
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology, virology)
• Myristicaceae (chemistry)
• Plant Extracts (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured