title: Antitumor effect of blister beetles: an ethno-medicinal practice in Karbi community and its experimental evaluation against a murine malignant tumor model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The blister beetles Epicauta hirticornis and Mylabris cichorii are used as a folk medicine by the Karbi tribe in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, India for the treatment of different human ailments, including cancer cases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  It includes field survey related to zoo-therapeutic aspects of two blister beetles in Karbi community, isolation of bio-active compound and evaluation of its antitumor potential with possible mode of action against murine Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The main bio-active compound of blister beetles was isolated from ethyl acetate extract and the structure was confirmed as cantharidin using NMR, IR, Mass and X-ray diffractometer. The effect of cantharidin on apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy and the apoptosis related signaling pathways were determined using different bioassays, including cell cycle analysis, mitochondrial membrane potential, western blot analysis of cytochrome c, caspases 9, 3/7 assays, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cantharidin induced apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy cell death in EAC cells. The decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential was observed, which may help to release cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. Cantharidin treatment caused up-regulation of caspases 9 and -3/7 and a decrease in LDH activity in EAC cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major bioactive compound of these blister beetles is cantharidin which induces severe apoptosis in EAC cells involving mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. Cantharidin-mediated inhibition of LDH activity may lead to short supply of NAD(+) and cut off energy and anabolic supply to cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793 022, India.
authors.forename: Akalesh Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Surya Bali
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002193:Cantharidin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002286:Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D001517:Coleoptera; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D007194:India; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D045304:Cytochromes c; D020169:Caspases; D002193:Cantharidin
keywords: Apoptosis; Cantharidin; Epicauta hirticornis; Mylabris cichorii; Zootherapy