title: Agents from amphibians with anticancer properties.
abstract: Amphibians have been found to be a source of agents with anticancer properties. Bufalin, for example, is an anticancer agent that may induce apoptosis by its interaction with other genes and cellular components. Certain peptides with anticancer activities have been found in amphibian skin; they include magainins, aureins, citropin 1.1 and gaegurins. These peptides may exert a cytotoxic effect on human cancer cells through various mechanisms. Onconase, amphinase, cSBL (sialic acid-binding lectin purified from Rana catesbeiana eggs) and jSBL (sialic acid-binding lectin purified from Rana japonica eggs), which belong to the RNase A family, were purified from the oocyte cells and eggs of three amphibians, and they induce cytotoxicity by degrading cellular RNA. This paper discusses the medical and pharmaceutical significance of products derived from amphibians.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center of The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Chuang-Xin
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ke-Jun
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002018:Bufanolides / Q000494:pharmacology; D002025:Bufonidae; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000494:pharmacology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001679:Biogenic Amines; D002018:Bufanolides; D012260:Ribonucleases; C522843:amphinase, Rana pipiens; C022777:bufalin; C058703:ranpirnase