Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026
Dual Effects of Melanoma Cell-derived Factors on Bone Marrow Adipocytes Differentiation
Published on: August 23, 2018
Carnosic acid impedes cell growth and enhances anticancer effects of carmustine and lomustine in melanoma
Kun-I Lin1,2, Chih-Chien Lin1, Shyh-Ming Kuo3
1Department of Cosmetic Science, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Abstract:
Carnosic acid (CA), a major polyphenolic diterpene present in Rosmarinus officinalis, has been reported to have multiple functions, including antitumor activity. The MTT assay, BrdU incorporation, wound healing, and colony formation were used to detect melanoma B16F10 cell growth and proliferation. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle detection. p21 and p27 expression was detected by Western blotting. B16F10 cell xenograft model was established, and treated with CA, carmustine (BCNU), or lomustine (CCNU). The present study found that CA exhibits significant growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest in melanoma B16F10 cells. We also found that CA triggers cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and enhances p21 expression. Additionally, CA can enhance BCNU- and CCNU-mediated cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest in B16F10 cells. Finally, we found that CA inhibits tumor growth, and reduces the values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in vivo The present study study concluded that CA may be safe and useful as a novel chemotherapeutic agent.
Insights
Carnosic acid from rosemary inhibits melanoma cell growth and triggers cell cycle arrest. It also enhances chemotherapy effectiveness and reduces tumor growth in vivo, suggesting potential as a novel cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products Chemistry
- Oncology
Background:
- Rosmarinus officinalis contains carnosic acid (CA), a polyphenol with reported antitumor properties.
- Melanoma is a significant public health concern, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of carnosic acid (CA) on melanoma B16F10 cell growth, proliferation, and cell cycle.
- To evaluate the potential of CA as a chemotherapeutic agent, both alone and in combination with existing drugs.
Main Methods:
- Cell viability and proliferation assays (MTT, BrdU incorporation, colony formation, wound healing).
- Flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis.
- Western blotting for p21 and p27 expression.
- In vivo studies using a B16F10 melanoma xenograft model.
Main Results:
- CA significantly inhibited B16F10 cell growth and proliferation.
- CA induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and increased p21 expression.
- CA enhanced the cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest induced by carmustine (BCNU) and lomustine (CCNU).
- CA inhibited tumor growth in vivo and reduced liver enzyme levels (AST, ALT).
Conclusions:
- Carnosic acid demonstrates significant anti-melanoma activity by inhibiting cell growth and inducing cell cycle arrest.
- CA potentiates the effects of conventional chemotherapy agents, suggesting a synergistic therapeutic potential.
- CA shows promise as a safe and effective novel chemotherapeutic agent for melanoma treatment.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Substituent Effects on Acidity of Carboxylic Acids
01:21Impedance Combination
01:23Impedances and Admittance
Impedance is a measure of resistance to sinusoidal current flow in an AC circuit. Unlike their behavior in DC circuits, where inductors appear as short circuits and capacitors as open circuits, the behavior of these components in AC...
02:19Buffer Effectiveness
The buffer capacity is the amount of acid or base that can be added to a given volume...
01:27Series Impedances: Three-Phase Line
Using Kirchhoff's laws, an integro-differential equation for the network is derived. This equation accounts for unbalanced phase currents, which may induce return currents through neutral wires and the earth, seeking the least impedance path. Earth return conductors can replace the...
01:24Bus Impedance Matrix
In the first circuit, all machine voltage sources are short-circuited, leaving only the prefault voltage source at the fault location. The positive-sequence bus impedance matrix can be determined by solving the nodal equations,...