Nilotinib (AMN), a second-generation
tyrosine kinase inhibitor, induces apoptosis in various
cancer cells, and our recent study showed that AMN effectively reduced the viability of human
ovarian cancer cells via mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis. The effect of AMN in the melanogenesis of
melanoma cells is still unclear. In the present study, we found that the addition of AMN but not
imatinib (
STI) significantly increased the darkness of B16F0
melanoma cells, and the absorptive value increased with the concentration of AMN. A decrease in the viability of B16F0 cells by AMN was detected in a concentration-dependent manner, accompanied by increased
DNA ladders, hypodiploid cells and cleavage of the
caspase-3 protein. An in vitro
tyrosinase (TYR) activity assay showed that increased TYR activity by AMN was detected in a concentration-dependent manner; however, induction of TYR activity by
STI at a concentration of 40 μmol/L was observed. Increased intracellular
peroxide by AMN was detected in B16F0 cells, and application of the
antioxidant,
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), significantly reduced AMN-induced
peroxide production which also reduced the darkness of B16F0 cells. Additionally, AMN induced
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)
protein phosphorylation in B16F0 cells, which was inhibited by the addition of NAC. AMN-induced melanogenesis of B16F0 cells was significantly inhibited by the addition of NAC and the JNK inhibitor,
SP600125 (SP). Data of Western blotting showed that increased
protein levels of melanogenesis-related
enzymes of
tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP1), TRP2 and TYR were observed in AMN-treated B16F0 cells which were inhibited by the addition of NAC and SP. Evidence is provided supporting AMN effectively inducing the melanogenesis of B16F0
melanoma cells via
reactive oxygen species-dependent JNK activation.