Putrescine-1,4-dicinnamide from Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes) inhibits cell growth of human prostate cancer cells

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 185 - 191
• Main Authors: Russo, A., Piovano, M., Clericuzio, M., Lombardo, L., Tabasso, S., Chamy, M.C., Vidari, G., Cardile, V., Vita-Finzi, P., Garbarino, J.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 01.02.2007; Urban & Fischer Verlag
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Basidiomycota; Cell growth; Cell Line, Tumor - drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor - metabolism; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Drug therapy; DU-145; Fruiting Bodies, Fungal; Health aspects; Human prostate cancer; Humans; Male; Mushrooms; Pholiota spumosa; Phytotherapy; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology; Putrescine - administration & dosage; Putrescine - analogs & derivatives; Putrescine - pharmacology; Putrescine - therapeutic use; Putrescine-1,4-dicinnamide; Italy; Cell growth; Pholiota spumosa; Putrescine-1,4-dicinnamide; DU-145; Mushrooms; Human prostate cancer
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2006.09.010

Previously, it was isolated from the fruiting bodies of the gilled mushroom Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes, Strophariaceae), putrescine-1,4-dicinnamide, a phenylpropanoid derivative conjugated with polyamine putrescine never isolated before as a natural compound. Recently, polyamine analogs that are similar in structure to the natural polyamines but that cannot mimic their functions that are essential for cellular growth and differentiation, have shown antitumor activity in several types of human cancer cells. Therefore, we have now investigated the response of DU-145 cells, a well characterized androgen-independent human prostate cancer (PCA) cell line, to this phenylpropanoid derivative. The results presented here demonstrate that putrescine-1,4-dicinnamide, as suggested for polyamine analogs synthesized artificially, inhibits the cell growth of cancer cells inducing apoptosis cell death, mediated, at least in part, by the activation of caspase cascades, that at higher doses shift to necrosis, through the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.