title: Resveratrol analog, 3,4,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene, differentially induces pro-apoptotic p53/Bax gene expression and inhibits the growth of transformed cells but not their normal counterparts.
abstract: Resveratrol, a trihydroxystilbene found in grapes and other plants, has been shown to be active in inhibiting multistage carcinogenesis. Using resveratrol as a prototype, we have synthesized a number of polyhydroxy- and polymethoxy-stilbenes and tested their anti-proliferative effect in normal and transformed human cells. Here we show that one of the resveratrol analogs, 3,4,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene (R-4), specifically inhibited the growth of SV40 virally transformed WI38 cells (WI38VA) at 10 microM, but had no effect on normal WI38 cells at even higher concentrations. R-4 also prominently induced apoptosis in WI38VA cells, but not in WI38 cells. RNase protection assay showed that R-4 significantly induced the expression of p53, GADD45 and Bax genes and concomitantly suppressed the expression of bcl-2 gene in WI38VA, but not in WI38 cells. A large increase in p53 DNA binding activity and the presence of p53 in the Bax promoter binding complex suggested that p53 was responsible for the Bax gene expression induced by R-4 in transformed cells. Within 4 h of treatment with R-4, the Bax to bcl-2 protein ratio in WI38 and WI38VA cells was, respectively, 0.1 and 105, a difference of three orders of magnitude. While R-4 prominently induced the p53/Bax pro-apoptotic genes, it also concomitantly suppressed the expression of Cox-2 in WI38VA cells. Taken together, our study suggests that the induction of p53 gene by R-4 in transformed cells may play a key role in the differential growth inhibition and apoptosis of transformed cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Center for Advanced Food Technology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8087, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghai
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D000097642:GADD45 Proteins
chemical_list: D001430:Bacteriocins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D017931:DNA Primers; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013267:Stilbenes; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D000097642:GADD45 Proteins; C422863:3,4,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene; C494826:BAX protein, human; C116792:brochocin C; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human