title: Effects of deguelin on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway and apoptosis in premalignant human bronchial epithelial cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, new approaches for preventing and controlling the disease are needed. Chemoprevention approaches are both feasible and effective. We evaluated the potential of deguelin, a natural plant product, as a lung cancer chemopreventive agent and investigated its mechanism of action.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of deguelin on proliferation and apoptosis of normal, premalignant, and malignant human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells were assessed by using the MTT assay, a flow cytometry-based TUNEL assay, and western blot analyses. The effects of deguelin on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were assessed by western blot analyses and with adenoviral vectors that expressed constitutively active Akt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Deguelin treatment in vitro at doses attainable in vivo inhibited the growth of and induced apoptosis of premalignant and malignant HBE cells but had minimal effects on normal HBE cells. Levels of phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) were higher in premalignant HBE cells than in normal HBE cells. In premalignant HBE cells, deguelin inhibited PI3K activity and reduced pAkt levels and activity but had mimimal effects on the MAPK pathway. Although overexpression of a constitutively active Akt in premalignant and malignant HBE cells had no effect on growth inhibition mediated by N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR), a novel chemopreventive retinoid, it blocked deguelin-induced growth arrest and apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability of deguelin to inhibit PI3K/Akt-mediated signaling pathways may contribute to the potency and specificity of this pro-apoptotic drug. Because both premalignant and malignant HBE cells are more sensitive to deguelin than normal HBE cells, deguelin may have potential as both a chemopreventive agent for early stages of lung carcinogenesis and a therapeutic agent against lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Box 432, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. hlee@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Kyung-Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Jerome W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kosmeder
authors.forename: Shihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pezzuto
authors.forename: Reuben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lotan
authors.forename: Waun Ki
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Ho-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012402:Rotenone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D012402:Rotenone; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C107676:deguelin