Abstract. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound, is a naturally occurring phytochemical and is found in a variety of plants, including food such as grapes, berries and peanuts. It has gained much attention for its potential anticancer activity against various types of human cancer. However, the usefulness of resveratrol as a chemotherapeutic agent is limited by its photosensitivity and metabolic instability. In this study the effects of a synthetic analogue of resveratrol, HS-1793, on the proliferation and apoptotic cell death were investigated using MCF-7 (wild-type p53) and MDA-MB-231 (mutant p53) human breast cancer cells. HS-1793 inhibited cell growth and induced apoptotic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. The induction of apoptosis was determined by morphological changes, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, alteration of Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio and caspase activities. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that HS-1793 induced G2/M arrest in the cell cycle progression in both types of cells. Of note, HS-1793 induced p53/p21 WAF1/CIP1 -dependent apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, whereas it exhibited p53-independent apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, HS-1793 showed more potent anticancer effects in several aspects compared to resveratrol in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Thus, these findings suggest that HS-1793 has potential as a candidate chemotherapeutic agent against human breast cancer.
IntroductionBreast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide (1). Five-year survival rate for tumor confined to the breast has increased to ~80-90% over the last decade. However, approximately one-third of breast cancer patients still die from the disease once tumor metastasized to other organs (2).Major treatment strategies for breast cancer consist, either separately or in combination of, radio therapy, surgery and chemotherapy (3). Many agents used to treat breast cancer are often associated with severe systemic toxicities. Acquired tumor drug resistance also limits their use in the treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, novel non-toxic therapeutic agents active against breast cancer are under investigation, with the need to develop new agents acting on novel targets.Resveratrol (trans-3,4,5'-trihydroxydtilbene, Fig. 1A) is a natural polyphenol compound (4,5). It has been reported to exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties. It exists in two isoforms: trans-resveratrol and cis-resveratrol; however, the trans-isomer is more stable than cis-resveratrol. Resveratrol-glucuronide is the major form absorbed when compared to the very minute amounts of unconjugated resveratrol and resveratrol sulfate are absorbed (6). Resveratrol has been reported to induce apoptosis in various cancerous or transformed cells in culture, chemically induced mouse skin tumors, and in transplanted tumors in nude mice by activating both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of cell death machinery (7,8). Resveratrol has shown to inhibit th...