Cryptotanshinone has diverse effects on cell cycle events in melanoma cell lines with different metastatic capacity.
OBJECTIVE
Cryptotanshinone is a major active component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which is often used as Chinese herbal medicine in cancer therapy. Here, we systematically assessed the anti-tumor effect of Cryptotanshinone on two melanoma cell lines with low/high-metastatic capacity (B16/B16BL6).


METHODS
MTT and LDH assays were used to evaluate cell growth and cytotoxicity. We assessed the effect of Cryptotanshinone on cell apoptosis or proliferation by Annexin V, TUNEL or BrdU assay. Cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometry. The integrity of cell cycle checkpoints was determined by mutational analyses of B-RAF and N-RAS, and the expression of cell cycle-associated proteins by western blotting.


RESULTS
Treatment with Cryptotanshinone had no obvious effect on cell apoptosis but significantly inhibited cell proliferation. Cryptotanshinone slightly increased the expression of p53, Chk1, and Chk2 in both B16 and B16BL6. Interestingly, Cryptotanshinone induced G1 arrest with a concomitant increase in p21 expression in B16BL6 cells. However, in B16 cells, Cryptotanshinone induced the G2/M arrest through its induction of Cdc25c. Regulation of Cyclin A1, Cyclin B1 and Cdk1/cdc2 expression might contribute to the different cell cycle patterns in B16 and B16BL6 after Cryptotanshinone treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Cryptotanshinone could have diverse effects on cell cycle events in melanoma cell lines with different metastatic capacity. This property might offer an opportunity to study underlying mechanisms for the different antitumor effects of administered Cryptotanshinone in B16 and B16BL6 cells.
Chen
Lei
L
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 282 Hanzhong Road, 210029 Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Zheng
Shi-zhong
SZ
Sun
Zhi-guang
ZG
Wang
Ai-yun
AY
Huang
Chen-hu
CH
Punchard
Neville A
NA
Huang
Shi-le
SL
Gao
Xiang
X
Lu
Yin
Y
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000032:analysis; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C037886:cryptotanshinone; C482120:Braf protein, mouse; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine
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