Abstract
In search of compounds which show tumor-specific cytotoxic activity, two 3,5-dibenzoyl-1,4-dihydropyridines (GB5, GB12) were found to show one or two orders higher cytotoxic activity against human tumor cell lines (squamous cell carcinoma HSC-2, HSC-3, submandibular gland carcinoma HSG, promyelocytic leukemia HL-60) than human normal cells (gingival fibroblast HGF, pulp cells HPC, periodontal ligament fibroblasts HPLF). GB5 and GB12 weakly induced several apoptosis-associated properties, such as inter-nucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and activation of caspases -3, -8 and -9, in both HL-60 and HSC-2 cells. Western blot analysis showed that GB5 and GB12 transiently increased the expression of both anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) and proapoptotic proteins (Bax and Bad) in HL-60 cells. ESR spectroscopy showed these compounds did not produce any detectable amount of radicals, nor scavenged superoxide (generated by hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction) or nitric oxide (generated by 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3-(N-3-methyl-3-aminopropyl)-3-methyl-1-triazene), suggesting that the induction of cytotoxic action is not via a radical-mediated reaction. The present study suggests that GB5 and GB12 may induce non-apoptotic cell death in tumor cell lines.
Footnotes
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↵* Present address: Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305, U.S.A.
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↵** Summer-time student of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, Japan
- Received December 30, 2004.
- Accepted April 4, 2005.
- Copyright© 2005 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved