Biochemical and chemical characterization of Cynara cardunculus L. extract and its potential use as co-adjuvant therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia.
BACKGROUND
Ancient mediterranean diet was characterized by consuming the spontaneous forms of Cynara cardunculus L. (CCL), commonly called artichoke. Cultivated and/or spontaneous forms of CC studies have demonstrated that methanol extract of CCL flower and/or cynaropicrin showed remarkable anti-proliferative activity in vitro models of leukocyte cancer cell.


OBJECTIVE
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is associated with a reciprocal translocation of the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22 generating the BCR/ABL fusion gene, translated in the p210BCR/ABLoncoprotein kinase. This chimeric protein is the target of a kinase inhibitor, imatinib, but the development of mutations in the ABL kinase domain resulting in drug resistance and several approaches to overcoming resistance have been study. In this concern, we investigated the effect of CCL extract on human K562 CML and K562 imatinib resistant (IMAR) cell proliferation and on p210BCR/ABLexpression.


METHODS
Chemical characterization of the CCL extracts was performed by GC/MS analysis and semipreparative RP-HPLC chromatography. Structural characterization of compounds was assessed by1H-13C NMR and LC/MS analysis. The effects of CCL extracts on the proliferation of K562 CML human cell line and K562 IMAR were screened by MTT assay. The p210BCR/ABLmRNA and protein expressions were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot techniques respectively.


RESULTS
We demonstrate that CCL extract affect cell viability of both K562 CML human cell line and K562 IMAR. The biocomponents of CCL were chemical characterized and we identify cynaropicrin and its deacyl derivative having the capability to down-regulate the p210BCR/ABLoncoprotein.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that the use of those molecules could represent a novel and promising strategy to potentiate the ability of imatinib or of its analogues to induce cancer growth arrest in CML and to delay or overcome the resistance of CML to chemotherapy.
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Savinio, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy.
Antonio
A
Russo
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Savinio, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy.
Mariarita
M
Perri
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Savinio, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy.
Erika
E
Cione
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Savinio, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy.
Maria Luisa
ML
Di Gioia
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Savinio, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy.
Monica
M
Nardi
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Savinio, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy. Electronic address: mariacristinacaroleo@virgilio.it.
Maria
M
Cristina Caroleo
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D031942:Cynara / Q000737:chemistry*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate / Q000494:pharmacology; D020014:K562 Cells; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D007783:Lactones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; C075687:cynaropicrin
Chronic myeloid leukemia; Cynara cardunculus L.; Imatinib resistant; K562 cells; P210(BCR/ABL) oncoprotein