1: Anticancer Res. 2005 Jan-Feb;25(1A):363-8. 

Induction of apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia cells by a natural
trachylobane diterpene.

Block S, Gerkens P, Peulen O, Jolois O, Mingeot-Leclercq MP, De Pauw-Gillet MC,
Quetin-Leclercq J.

Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Universite Catholique de Louvain, UCL 72.30-CHAM,
1200 Bruxelles, Belgium.

BACKGROUND: Trachylobane diterpenes are secondary metabolites, quite rare in
nature, and their bioactivities are poorly understood. Recently, we have
described the cytotoxic activity of ent-trachyloban-3beta-ol isolated from the
leaves of Croton zambesicus, a plant used in African folk medicine. MATERIALS
AND METHODS: Cell viability on several cell lines, cell morphology, DNA
laddering, annexin Vand caspase-3 activation experiments were undertaken in
order to analyse the cytotoxicty of trachylobane diterpene and to determine if
this compound is able to induce apoptosis. RESULTS: ent-Trachyloban-3beta-ol
exerts a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect, which varies between cell lines.
Induction of apoptosis in HL-60 cells could be detected at a concentration of 50
microM after 24-h treatment. CONCLUSION: We show here, for the first time, that
a trachylobane diterpene is able to induce apoptosis in human promyelocytic
leukemia cells via caspase-3 activation in a concentration-dependent manner.

PMID: 15816559 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]