Marisa Cabeza, Karla Mejía, Fernando García, Ivonne Heuze, Miguel Morales, Mauricio Rodríguez-Dorantes
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Studies suggest that vegetarians and Asians have lower mortality rates from prostate cancer compared to men who follow a Western diet. β-sitosterol, a key compound of plant-based diets, has been found to induce significant changes in the ultrasonic structure of the prostatic adenomas, making it a promising candidate for further prostate cancer research. Consequently, we investigated the potential of β-sitosterol and the synthetic derivative 2 as potent inhibitors of androgen synthesis, a critical process for the growth and survival of prostate tumor LNCaP cells. Solubilized LNCaP microsomes were used as a source of SRD5A1 and AKR1C3 to monitor androgen synthesis from labeled androstenedione, both in the presence and absence of β-sitosterol or 2. Furthermore, the effect of these steroids on LNCaP viability was determined using the MTT method. Our findings revealed significant insights into the androgen synthesis pathways in LNCaP cells. The most efficient metabolic route for dihydrotestosterone formation was the conversion of androstenedione to 5α-androstanedione rather than from testosterone in LNCaP. This conclusion is supported by the Vmax values for 5α-androstanedione formation (271.05 ± 5.0 ng/mg protein/min) and the Vmax of testosterone formation (80.1 ± 8.0 ng/mg protein/min). Both β-sitosterol and 2 demonstrated substantial inhibitory effects of these enzymes for dihydrotestosterone formation and significantly reduced cell viability, highlighting their therapeutic potential. These findings enhance our understanding of the inhibitory effects of β-sitosterol and 2 on LNCaP cells and suggest their promising application in the treatment of prostate cancer.
期刊介绍:
Drug Development Research focuses on research topics related to the discovery and development of new therapeutic entities. The journal publishes original research articles on medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals, toxicology, and drug delivery, formulation, and pharmacokinetics. The journal welcomes manuscripts on new compounds and technologies in all areas focused on human therapeutics, as well as global management, health care policy, and regulatory issues involving the drug discovery and development process. In addition to full-length articles, Drug Development Research publishes Brief Reports on important and timely new research findings, as well as in-depth review articles. The journal also features periodic special thematic issues devoted to specific compound classes, new technologies, and broad aspects of drug discovery and development.