The antiandrogenic effect of neferine, liensinine, and isoliensinine by inhibiting 5-α-reductase and androgen receptor expression via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in prostate cancer

Pharmazie. 2021 May 1;76(5):225-231. doi: 10.1691/ph.2021.1301.

Abstract

Neferine, liensinine, and isoliensinine are bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids extracted from seed-embryos of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer activities and mechanism of action of these natural products in prostate cancer cells by MTT, wound healing, ELISA and Western blotting. Neferine, liensinine, and isoliensinine showed growth inhibition and displayed a significant anti-migration activity in prostate cancer cells. They induced apoptosis and autophagy by activating cleaved caspase-9, cleaved PAPR, Bax, LC3B-II, but decreased Bcl-2 and PARP protein expression in LNCaP cells 24 h after treatments. The apoptotic and cytotoxic effects of neferine, liensinine, and isoliensinine were significantly attenuated in the presence of the caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK. However, the effects were enhanced in the presence of Akt inhibitor (MK2206) and PI3K inhibitor (LY294002). Moreover, neferine, liensinine, and isoliensinine also downregulated the protein expression of androgen receptor, prostate-specific antigen, and type II 5-α-reductase. These results demonstrated that these bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids have the potential as promising therapeutics agents. They induced apoptosis via inactivation with the PI3K/AKT signal pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / pharmacology
  • Androgen Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Androgen Receptor Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / drug effects
  • Autophagy / drug effects
  • Benzylisoquinolines / chemistry
  • Benzylisoquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Biological Products / therapeutic use
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Chromones / pharmacology
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Isoquinolines / chemistry
  • Isoquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Morpholines / pharmacology
  • Nelumbo / chemistry
  • Phenols / chemistry
  • Phenols / pharmacology*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors
  • Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones
  • Androgen Antagonists
  • Androgen Receptor Antagonists
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Benzylisoquinolines
  • Biological Products
  • Chromones
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring
  • Isoquinolines
  • MK 2206
  • Morpholines
  • Phenols
  • benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone
  • isoliensinine
  • neferine
  • liensinine
  • 2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt