Antitumor Activity of Vanicoside B Isolated from Persicaria dissitiflora by Targeting CDK8 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

J Nat Prod. 2019 Nov 22;82(11):3140-3149. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00720. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Abstract

A flavonoid glycoside, quercitrin (1), and two phenylpropanoyl sucrose derivatives, vanicoside B (2) and lapathoside C (3), were isolated for the first time from the herb Persicaria dissitiflora. Vanicoside B (2) exhibited antiproliferative activity against a panel of cancer cell lines in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells. The underlying mechanisms of the antitumor activity of 2 were investigated in TNBC cells. Upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) was observed in a claudin-low molecular subtype of TNBC cells. A molecular modeling study indicated that 2 showed a high affinity for CDK8. Further investigations revealed that 2 suppressed CDK8-mediated signaling pathways and the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition proteins and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and HCC38 TNBC cells. Moreover, 2 inhibited tumor growth without overt toxicity in a nude mouse xenograft model implanted with MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the significance of CDK8 activity in TNBC and suggest a potential use of 2 as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of aggressive human triple-negative breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cinnamates / chemistry*
  • Cinnamates / metabolism
  • Cinnamates / pharmacology*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 8 / drug effects*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 8 / metabolism
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polygonaceae / chemistry*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Tumor Stem Cell Assay
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Cinnamates
  • vanicoside B
  • CDK8 protein, human
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 8