title: Liquid crystal-related compound-induced cell growth suppression and apoptosis in the chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cell line.
abstract: Liquid crystals are the state of matter existing between the liquid and the crystalline phase, and there is a recent surging interest in its biological effects. Our previous study showed that liquid crystal-related compounds (LCRCs), which are precursors of the liquid crystal, enhanced hematopoietic differentiation at a relatively low concentration (Biol Pharm Bull, 32, 2009). However, biological potentials of LCRCs on tumor cells are unclear. In this study, the biological activity of 16 LCRCs to a chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line, K562, was evaluated. As a result, two compounds, 2-(4-butoxyphenyl)-5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pyrimidine (compound 7) and 2-{4-(4-hexyloxyphenyl)phenyl}-5-hydroxypyrimidine (compound 9) showed marked growth suppression of K562 cells at μM range. These compounds are similar in structure with a core of three aromatic rings including a pyrimidine ring and residues of one alkyl chain and one hydroxide on either side. In addition, only compound 7 induced the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis of K562 cells. The contrasting results between compounds 7 and 9 indicate different mechanisms to suppress the cell proliferation between the two compounds. These results suggest the possibility of LCRCs for application as new antitumor drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukako
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukushi
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hazawa
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kashiwakura
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000473:pathology*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents