Sensitization and synergistic anti-cancer effects of Furanodiene identified in zebrafish models.

Furanodiene is a natural terpenoid isolated from Rhizoma Curcumae, a well-known Chinese medicinal herb that presents anticancer effects in various types of cancer cell lines. In this study, we have successfully established zebrafish xenografts with 5 various human cancer cell lines; and validated these models with anti-cancer drugs used clinically for treating human cancer patients. We found that Furanodiene was therapeutically effective for human JF 305 pancreatic cancer cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells xenotranplanted into zebrafish. Furanodiene showed a markedly synergistic anti-cancer effect when used in combination with 5-FU (5-Fluorouracil) for both human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and human liver cancer BEL-7402 cells xenotransplanted into zebrafish. Unexpectedly, Furanodiene reversed multiple drug resistance in the zebrafish xenotransplanted with cis-Platinum-resistant human non-small cell lung cancer cells and Adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer cells. Furanodiene played its anti-cancer effects through anti-angiogenesis and inducing ROS production, DNA strand breaks and apoptosis. Furanodiene suppresseed efflux transporter Pgp (P-glycoprotein) function and reduced Pgp protein level, but no effect on Pgp related gene (MDR1) expression. These results suggest sensitizition and synergistic anti-cancer effects of Furanodiene that is worthy of a further investigation.

Chemical constituents from the radix of Curcuma wenyujin.

Phytochemical study on the ethanol extract of the radixes of Curcuma wenyujin Y. H. Chen et C. Ling led to the isolation of three new compounds curcuminol F (1) curcuminol G (2) and wenyujinoside (3) and a known compound aurantiamide (4). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis.

WB1106, a novel nitric oxide-releasing derivative of telmisartan, inhibits hypertension and improves glucose metabolism in rats.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors usually cause severe coughing and intolerance while antagonists for angiotensin AT(1) receptor do not stimulate the production of nitric oxide (NO). NO has been shown to regulate arterial hypertension and insulin resistance. Hence, new hybrids of antagonist for angiotensin AT(1) receptor and a NO donor may have potent anti-hypertensive effect and regulate glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Herein, the effects of [6-(nitrooxymethyl)pyridin-2-yl] methyl 4'-[1-(1,7'-dimethyl-2'-propyl-1H,3'H-2,5'-bibenzo[d]imidazol-3'-yl)ethyl] biphenyl-2-carboxylate (WB1106), a novel NO-releasing derivative of telmisartan newly synthesized, on the vasocontraction, hypertension and diet-induced insulin resistance were examined in vitro using rat aortic strips and in normotensive and spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR rats). Apparently, WB1106 induced the vasorelaxation of contracted rat aortic strips in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which depended on the activity of guanylate cyclase, a characteristic of NO-related function. Furthermore, WB1106 reduced the contractile and blood pressure responses to angiotensin II, which relied on the release of telmisartan. Moreover, treatment with WB1106 significantly reduced the blood pressure with similar potency to telmitarsan and increased the contents of cGMP in SHR rats. Therefore, WB1106 possesses both the angiotensin AT(1) receptor antagonist activity of telmisartan and the NO-releasing property of a 'slow NO donor'. Importantly, in contrast to equimolar telmisartan, treatment with WB1106 significantly attenuated body weight gains and improved glucose tolerance in high-fat and carbohydrate-fed rats, reflecting a synergistic effect of NO and telmisartan. Potentially, WB1106 may be a potent anti-hypertensive drug for treatment of hypertension and diabetes-related cardiovascular diseases in the clinic.