Inhibitory effect of liposomal rhinacanthin-N isolated from Rhinacanthus nasutus on pulmonary metastasis in mice.
We previously observed that rhinacanthins, which are the main naphthoquinone esters isolated from the roots of a Thai medicinal plant, Rhinacanthus nasutus KURZ. (family Acanthaceae), suppress the growth of Meth-A sarcoma in the tumor-bearing mice and that rhinacanthin-N has the strongest antitumor activity among these naphthoquinone esters tested. In the present study, we investigated the effect of rhinacanthin-N on pulmonary metastasis induced by B16F10 melanoma cells in mice. C57BL/6 male mice were injected intravenously with B16F10 melanoma cells, and liposomal rhinacanthin-N was administered intraperitoneally from day 1 to 7 after tumor implantation. Liposomes were used to formulate an injectable form of the hydrophobic agent. Treatment of the mice with 5 or 10 mg/kg/d of liposomal rhinacanthin-N significantly inhibited the pulmonary metastatic colonization of the melanoma cells. Based on these data, our findings demonstrate that rhinacanthin-N possesses antimetastatic efficacy, which may make it a lead compound for the development of a new anticancer drug for use in cancer chemotherapy.
Natural Products Research Section, Research Division, National Cancer Institute, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. siripong_nci@yahoo.com
Pongpun
P
Siripong
Jantana
J
Yahuafai
Suratsawadee
S
Piyaviriyakul
Kwanjai
K
Kanokmedhakul
Hiroyuki
H
Koide
Takayuki
T
Ishii
Kosuke
K
Shimizu
Somsak
S
Ruchirawat
Naoto
N
Oku
D027901:Acanthaceae; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D008081:Liposomes; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018517:Plant Roots
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008081:Liposomes; D009285:Naphthoquinones; C515072:rhinacanthin-N