Betulinic acid: A new cytotoxic compound against malignant head and neck cancer cells

✍ Scribed by Dietmar Thurnher; Dritan Turhani; Martina Pelzmann; Bettina Wannemacher; Birgit Knerer; Michael Formanek; Volker Wacheck; Edgar Selzer

• Book ID: 102234104
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 339 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.10231

✦ Synopsis

Background:

A new compound, betulinic acid, has been found to be cytotoxic against a variety of tumor cells originating from the neural crest. its efficacy against head and neck squamous cellular carcinoma cell lines has so far not been tested.

Methods:

Cell numbers were assayed by automated counting; caspase activation and programmed cell death were determined using an antibody specific for an apoptosis-associated epitope in epithelial cells. the expression pattern of bcl-2 family members was assessed by western blotting.

Results:

In two hnscc cell lines betulinic acid induced apoptosis, which was characterized by a dose-dependent reduction in cell numbers, emergence of apoptotic cells, and an increase in caspase activity. western blot analysis of the expression of various bcl-2 family members in betulinic acid-treated cells showed, surprisingly, a suppression of the expression of the proapoptotic protein bax but no changes in mcl-1 or bcl-2 expression.

Conclusion:

These data clearly demonstrate for the first time that betulinic acid has apoptotic activity against hnscc cells.