title: Anticancer activity of Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L) Merr extracts is associated with inhibition of NF-kB activity and decreased Erk1/2 and Akt phosphorylation.
abstract: Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L) Merr (AT) is commonly used as an herbal medicine and edible plant in some areas of China and other Asian countries. AT is thought to have anticancer effects, but potential mechanisms remain unknown. To assess the anticancer properties of AT, we exposed prostate cancer cells to AT extracts and assessed cell proliferation and signaling pathways. An ethanol extract of AT was suspended in water followed by sequential extraction with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. PC-3 cells were treated with different concentrations of each extract and cell viability was determined by the MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays. The ethyl acetate extract of the ethanol extract had a stronger inhibitory effect on growth and a stronger stimulatory effect on apoptosis than any of the other extracts. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract suppressed the transcriptional activity of NF-kB, increased the level of caspase-3, and decreased the levels of phospho-Erk1/2 and phospho-Akt. This is the first report on the anticancer activity of AT in cultured human prostate cancer cells. The results suggest that AT can provide a plant-based medicine for the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Allan H Conney Laboratory for Anticancer Research, School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China E-mail : xizheng@pharmacy.rutgers.edu, zhiyundu@gdut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hua-Qian
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xiao-Xing
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Xiao-Fen
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wei-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Allan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Conney
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-Yun
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D028001:Eleutherococcus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3