The effect of 17 sesquiterpenes on cell viability and telomerase activity in the human ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910.
Using the MTT assay and the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP)-based PCR-ELISA assay, the cytotoxicity and telomerase inhibiting ability of 17 sesquiterpenes (extracted from Chinese herbs) were tested in the human ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910. The results indicated that seven sesquiterpenes inhibited cell proliferation without having an effect on telomerase activity; two sesquiterpenes inhibited neither cell proliferation nor telomerase activity; and the other eight sesquiterpenes inhibited both cell proliferation and telomerase activity to a certain extent. Without exception, none of these 17 sesquiterpenes could only inhibit telomerase activity without inhibiting cell proliferation. This indicated that the telomerase inhibiting activity is not a universal mechanism for all anticancer drugs but is only one of several possible mechanisms. The structure-activity relationships of 5 groups of sesquiterpenes are also discussed. This study may help to develop anticancer drugs.
Wang
Chun-Ming
CM
School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China.
Jia
Zhong-Jian
ZJ
Zheng
Rong-Liang
RL
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D019098:Telomerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D019098:Telomerase