Antitumor effects of pristimerin on human osteosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

Yuki Mori,1 Toshiharu Shirai,1 Ryu Terauchi,1 Shinji Tsuchida,1 Naoki Mizoshiri,1 Daichi Hayashi,1 Yuji Arai,2 Tunao Kishida,3 Osam Mazda,3 Toshikazu Kubo1 1Department of Orthopaedics, 2Department of Sports and Para-Sports Medicine, 3Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan Abstract: There are very few treatments for musculoskeletal tumors, compared to other cancers; thus, novel therapeutic drugs are needed. Pristimerin (PM) is a triterpene compound isolated from plant extracts that reportedly has antitumor effects on various cancers, such as of the breast and prostate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antitumor effects of PM on human osteosarcoma cells. Treatment of the human osteosarcoma cell lines, MNNG and 143B, with PM led to a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability. The effects of PM on apoptosis were evaluated with the Annexin V/propidium iodide assay and analysis of caspases 3, 8, and 9 activities. Western blot analysis showed that PM caused a decrease in the expression of Akt, mTOR, and NF-κB. The volumes and weights of human osteosarcoma xenografts decreased significantly with PM treatment. The results of this study revealed that PM can inhibit human osteosarcoma growth in vitro and in vivo, and may be a novel therapeutic agent for the disease. Keywords: pristimerin, osteosarcoma, apoptosis, caspase, Akt 

Keywords

• pristimerin
• osteosarcoma
• apoptosis
• caspase
• Akt