Inhibition of Castration-Sensitive LNCaP, Castration-Resistant TRAMP-C2, and Bone-Metastatic C4-2B Prostate Cancer...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Hormonal therapy is the primary treatment for advanced prostate cancer.
• Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) presents a significant clinical challenge.
• Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to overcome treatment resistance in prostate cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of alpha-tomatine (α-tomatine), a tomato-derived glycoalkaloid, as a molecular targeted therapy.
• To evaluate the anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and anti-invasive effects of α-tomatine on various prostate cancer cell lines.
• To assess the in vivo anti-tumor activity of α-tomatine in a mouse model of prostate cancer.

Main Methods:

• In vitro studies utilized human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, C4-2B) and a mouse prostate cancer cell line (TRAMP-C2).
• Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assays were performed following α-tomatine treatment.
• Flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis induction. In vivo efficacy was evaluated via intratumoral injection in a TRAMP-C2 xenograft mouse model.

Main Results:

• α-tomatine demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation, migration, and invasion in all tested prostate cancer cell lines.
• α-tomatine significantly enhanced apoptosis in TRAMP-C2 cells at 2.5 μg/mL.
• Single intratumoral injection of α-tomatine resulted in time-dependent inhibition of tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusions:

• α-tomatine exhibits potent anti-cancer properties against both castration-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer, including metastatic cell lines.
• The findings suggest α-tomatine has potential as a therapeutic agent for prostate cancer.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise pharmacological actions and molecular mechanisms of α-tomatine.