Identification of anti-tumor components from toad venom.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Biochemistry
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Amphibian skin secretions are a rich source of bioactive compounds, including anti-tumor peptides.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizes toad venom for therapeutic purposes, particularly in cancer treatment.
• No anti-tumor peptides have been previously reported in the venom of Bufo gargarizans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the active components in fresh toad venom (FTV) and dried toad venom (DTV) of Bufo gargarizans.
• To identify and characterize the anti-tumorigenic properties of FTV components.
• To explore the mechanism of action of FTV's anti-tumorigenic components.

Main Methods:

• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis to compare FTV and DTV.
• MTT assay to evaluate cytotoxicity against SH-SY5Y cells.
• Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to analyze protein components.
• Immobilized basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) affinity chromatography for component isolation.
• Western blot analysis to assess caspase-3 and caspase-8 expression.

Main Results:

• FTV exhibits distinct HPLC chromatography and higher cytotoxicity to SH-SY5Y cells compared to DTV.
• Protein profiles of FTV and DTV differ, with FTV proteins showing greater toxicity.
• bFGF-binding components isolated from FTV inhibited bFGF-dependent neurite growth in SH-SY5Y cells.
• These bFGF-binding components induced apoptosis by upregulating caspase-3 and caspase-8 expression.

Conclusions:

• Fresh toad venom (FTV) of Bufo gargarizans contains active components with anti-tumorigenic properties.
• These active components interact with bFGF, inhibiting its signaling pathway.
• FTV components activate apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, suggesting potential for cancer therapy.