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Cypripedin, a phenanthrenequinone from Dendrobium densiflorum, sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer H460 cells to cisplatin-mediated apoptosis

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A Correction to this article was published on 13 March 2018

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Abstract

The life-threatening potential of lung cancer has increased over the years due to its acquisition of chemotherapeutic resistance, especially to cisplatin, a first-line therapy. In response to this development, researchers have turned their attention to several compounds derived from natural origins, including cypripedin (CYP), a phenanthrenequinone substance extracted from Dendrobium densiflorum. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of CYP to induce apoptosis and enhance cisplatin-mediated death of human lung cancer NCI-H460 cells using cell viability and apoptosis assays. The induction of apoptosis by CYP was observed at a concentration of > 50 μM with the appearance of morphological changes, including DNA condensation and chromatin fragmentation. Together with, CYP was able to activate caspase-3 and downregulate the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Also, a non-cytotoxic dose of CYP synergistically potentiated the effect of cisplatin in non-small cell lung cancer line H460 cells, which clearly exhibited the apoptotic phenotype. Western blot analysis revealed that the underlying mechanism involved the downregulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL, whereas the levels of other apoptotic regulatory proteins were not altered. This study provides interesting information on the potent effect of CYP as a chemotherapeutic sensitizer that could be further developed to improve the clinical outcomes of lung cancer patients.

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Change history

  • 13 March 2018

    In original publication of the article, unfortunately one of the author names was published incorrectly as “Boonchu Sritularuk”. The correct name is “Boonchoo Sritularak”.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund, Chulalongkorn University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inter-department Program of Pharmacology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Onsurang Wattanathamsan

  2. Cell-Based Drug and Health Product Development Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Onsurang Wattanathamsan, Surassawadee Treesuwan & Varisa Pongrakhananon

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Surassawadee Treesuwan & Varisa Pongrakhananon

  4. Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Boonchoo Sritularak

Authors
  1. Onsurang Wattanathamsan
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  2. Surassawadee Treesuwan
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  3. Boonchoo Sritularak
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  4. Varisa Pongrakhananon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Varisa Pongrakhananon.

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Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: One of the author names was published incorrectly as "Boonchu Sritularuk" and the name is corrected in this version.

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Wattanathamsan, O., Treesuwan, S., Sritularak, B. et al. Cypripedin, a phenanthrenequinone from Dendrobium densiflorum, sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer H460 cells to cisplatin-mediated apoptosis. J Nat Med 72, 503–513 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-018-1176-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-018-1176-z

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