Ent-11alpha-hydroxy-16-kauren-15-one (1) induced apoptosis in a human leukemia cell line (HL-60 cells), however, the apoptosis-inducing properties of 1 and its related compounds remain to be proved. We examined the involvement of caspases, a family of cysteine aspartic proteases, which play a central role in induction of apoptosis, in apoptosis induced by the compounds in HL-60 cells. Treatment of the cells with compounds 1, 2 and 3 with the enone group at C-15/C-16 caused DNA fragmentation, a sign of induction of apoptosis, and proteolysis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a hallmark of caspase activation. Z-Asp-CH2-DCB, abroad spectrum inhibitor of caspases, abolished the appearance of DNA fragmentation and also significantly attenuated the cytotoxic effects. These data suggest that induction of apoptosis by 1 and some of its related compounds are dependent on caspases activation and might be partly involved in the cytotoxicity in HL-60 cells.

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(+)-Goniodiol, a potent and selective cytotoxin, and (−)-6-epi-goniodiol, as well as their enantiomers, have been synthesized starting from cinnamyl alcohol. The key steps of the synthesis were Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and cyclization of an acrylate derivative using ring-closing metathesis reaction. The cytotoxicity of both enantiomers of goniodiol and 6-epi-goniodiol against HL-60 cells was examined.