α-Mangostin, a Natural Agent, Enhances the Response of NRAS Mutant Melanoma to Retinoic Acid

Med Sci Monit. 2016 Apr 22:22:1360-7. doi: 10.12659/msm.898204.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The identification and use of novel compounds alone or in combination hold promise for the fight against NRAS mutant melanoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS We screened a kinase-specific inhibitor library through combining it with α-Mangostin in NRAS mutant melanoma cell line, and verified the enhancing effect of α-Mangostin through inhibition of the tumorigenesis pathway. RESULTS Within the kinase inhibitors, retinoic acid showed a significant synergistic effect with α-Mangostin. α-Mangostin also can reverse the drug resistance of retinoic acid in RARa siRNA-transduced sk-mel-2 cells. Colony assay, TUNEL staining, and the expressions of several apoptosis-related genes revealed that a-Mangostin enhanced the effect of retinoic acid-induced apoptosis. The combination treatment resulted in marked induction of ROS generation and inhibition of the AKT/S6 pathway. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the combination of these novel natural agents with retinoid acid may be clinically effective in NRAS mutant melanoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Biological Products / pharmacology
  • Biological Products / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Melanoma / drug therapy*
  • Melanoma / genetics*
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Tretinoin / pharmacology
  • Tretinoin / therapeutic use*
  • Xanthones / pharmacology
  • Xanthones / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Xanthones
  • Tretinoin
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • NRAS protein, human
  • mangostin