Pannarin inhibits cell growth and induces cell death in human prostate carcinoma DU-145 cells

Abstract

In the course of our continuing search for new natural anticancer compounds for treatment and/or prevention of prostate cancer, our laboratory has focused its search on poorly investigated lichen metabolites, sphaerophorin, pannarin and epiphorellic acid-1. To this end, we treated DU-145, a cell line resembling the last stage of prostate carcinoma, with different concentrations (6–50 μmol/l) of these compounds for 72 h. Our data clearly evidenced that these lichen metabolites inhibit the growth of human prostate carcinoma DU-145 cells, but pannarin exhibits a higher effect. Our data show an induction of apoptotic death of advanced prostate cancer cells by sphaerophorin, pannarin and epiphorellic acid-1. In fact, a significant (P