Berberine, a natural cholesterol reducing product, exerts antitumor cytostatic/cytotoxic effects independently from the mevalonate pathway.
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the mevalonate pathway in the cytostatic/cytotoxic effects of berberine, a natural plant alkaloid that reduces cholesterol concentration. Berberine as well as lovastatin, an inhibitor of the mevalonate pathway, exerted dose-dependent cytostatic/cytotoxic effects against human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231). Although the mevalonate pathway metabolites (mevalonic acid, farnesyl pyrophosphate, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate) effectively reversed cytostatic/cytotoxic effects of lovastatin against MDA-MB231 cells, they were not effective in influencing the cytostatic/cytotoxic effects of berberine. The cytostatic/cytotoxic effects of berberine do not seem to result from inhibition of the mevalonate pathway.
Issat
Tadeusz
T
Department of Immunology, Center of Biostructure Research, The Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Jakóbisiak
Marek
M
Golab
Jakub
J
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001599:Berberine; D008148:Lovastatin; D008798:Mevalonic Acid