title: Coumarin polysulfides inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in HCT116 colon cancer cells.
abstract: Coumarins and coumarin derivatives as well as diallyl polysulfides are well known as anticancer drugs. In order to find new drugs with anticancer activities, we combined coumarins with polysulfides in the form of di-coumarin polysulfides. These novel compounds were tested in the HCT116 colorectal cancer cell line. It turned out that they reduced cell viability of cancer cells in a time and concentration dependent manner. Cells tested with these coumarin polysulfides accumulate in the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle and finally they go into apoptosis. A decrease in bcl-2 level, and increase in the level of bax, cytochrome c release into the cytosol, cleavage of caspase 3/7and PARP suggested that coumarin polysulfides induced the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Comparison of these new coumarin compounds with the well known diallyl polysulfides revealed that the coumarin disulfides were more active than the corresponding diallyl disulfides. The activities of the coumarin tetrasulfides and the corresponding diallyl tetrasulfides are similar. The novel coumarin compounds regulated the phosphatase activity of the cell cycle regulating cdc25 family members, indicating that these phosphatases are implicated in the induction of cell cycle arrest and possibly in apoptosis induction as well. In addition, coumarin polysulfides also down-regulated the level of cdc25C, which also contributed to the arrest in the G(2)-phase of the cell cycle.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Saarland, Building 44, 66424 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nathaniel Edward Bennett
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Saidu
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bana
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirsch
authors.forename: Denyse
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bagrel
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montenarh
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003374:Coumarins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013440:Sulfides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003374:Coumarins; D013440:Sulfides; C032915:polysulfide