Dauricine

Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2012 Dec;5(12):973-6.

Dauricine can inhibit the activity of proliferation of urinary tract tumor cells.[Pubmed: 23199717]

To explore the anti-tumor effects of asiatic moonseed rhizome extraction-Dauricine on bladder cancer EJ cell strain, prostate cancer PC-3Mcell strain and primary cell culture system.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The main effective component-phenolic alkaloids ofMenispermum dauricum was extracted and separated from asiatic moonseed rhizome by chemical method. MTT method was used to detect Dauricine anti-tumor effect. Dauricine had an obvious proliferation inhibition effect on the main tumor cells in urinary system. The minimum drug sensitivity concentration was between 3.81-5.15 μg/mL, and the inhibition ratio increased with the increase of concentration.
CONCLUSIONS:
Dauricine, the main effective component extracted from asiatic moonseed rhizome, had a good inhibition effect on tumor cells in urinary system. At the same time, Dauricine has certain inhibition effects on the primary cultured tumor cell.

J Cell Physiol. 2010 Oct;225(1):266-75.

Dauricine induces apoptosis, inhibits proliferation and invasion through inhibiting NF-kappaB signaling pathway in colon cancer cells.[Pubmed: 20509140]

Dauricine, a bioactive component of Asiatic Moonseed Rhizome, has been widely used to treat a large number of inflammatory diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
In our study, we demonstrated that Dauricine inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and induced apoptosis by suppressing nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Addition of Dauricine inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha, and the phosphorylation and translocation of p65. Moreover, Dauricine down-regulated the expression of various NF-kappaB-regulated genes, including genes involved cell proliferation (cyclinD1, COX2, and c-Myc), anti-apoptosis (survivin, Bcl-2, XIAP, and IAP1), invasion (MMP-9 and ICAM-1), and angiogenesis (VEGF). In athymic nu/nu mouse model, we further demonstrated that Dauricine significantly suppressed colonic tumor growth.
CONCLUSIONS:
Taken together, our results demonstrated that Dauricine inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and induced cell apoptosis by suppressing NF-kappaB activity and the expression profile of its downstream genes. These findings provide evidence for a novel role of Dauricine in preventing or treating colon cancer through modulation of NF-kappaB singling pathway.

Mol Med Rep. 2014 Mar;9(3):985-8.

P‑glycoprotein inhibition increases the transport of dauricine across the blood‑brain barrier.[Pubmed: 24378368]

Dauricine is the major bioactive component isolated from the roots of Menispermum dauricum D.C. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of P‑glycoprotein in the transport of Dauricine across the blood‑brain barrier by pre‑treatment with the P‑glycoprotein inhibitor verapamil.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Sprague Dawley rats were divided into a verapamil group (pretreated with verapamil at a dose of 20 mg/kg) and a control group (pretreated with the same volume of normal saline). After 90 min, the animals were injected intravenously with Dauricine (10 mg/kg). At 15, 30 and 60 min after Dauricine administration, the levels of Dauricine in the blood and brain were detected by high‑performance liquid chromatography. Compared with the control group, the Dauricine concentration in the brains of the rats in the verapamil group was significantly increased. Furthermore, the brain‑plasma ratio of Dauricine in the rats pretreated with verapamil was significantly higher than that of the animals in the control group. However, there was no difference identified between Dauricine levels in the plasma of the verapamil and the control groups.
CONCLUSIONS:
The results indicated that Dauricine is able to pass the blood‑brain barrier, and that P‑glycoprotein has an important role in the transportation of Dauricine across the blood‑brain barrier.

Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao. 1993 Jul;14(4):329-31.

Dauricine and anisodamine inhibited leukotrienes- and platelet activating factor-induced DNA synthesis and proliferation of bovine cerebral microvascular smooth muscle cells in culture.[Pubmed: 8249627]

The effects of leukotrienes (LT) and platelet activating factor (PAF) on DNA synthesis and proliferation of bovine cerebral microvascular smooth muscle cells (BCMSMC) were studied.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
At 100 pmol.L-1, LTB4, LTC4, LTD4, and PAF promoted the DNA synthesis by 44%, 50%, 48%, and 57%, and enhanced the cell proliferation by 33%, 47%, 27%, and 40%, respectively. Dauricine and anisodamine inhibited the DNA synthesis of the cells induced by LT and PAF (0.1-100 mumol.L-1).
CONCLUSIONS:
These results indicate the bright future of the 2 drugs in the prevention and treatment of cerebral vascular diseases.

Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007 Jun;85(6):621-7.

Neuroprotective effect of dauricine in cortical neuron culture exposed to hypoxia and hypoglycemia: involvement of correcting perturbed calcium homeostasis.[Pubmed: 17823624]

We have previously reported that Dauricine protects brain tissues from focal cerebral ischemia.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
To corroborate this effect, neurotoxicity due to hypoxia and hypoglycemia was assessed in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons by using a trypan blue exclusion method. To further clarify the mechanism, the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsim) of dissociated rat cortical cells were monitored by fura-2 fluorescence measurements and flow cytometry, respectively. The results showed that 1 and 10 micromol/L Dauricine significantly enhanced neuronal survival during 4 h of hypoxia and hypoglycemia. Dauricine inhibited the increase in [Ca2+]i and decrease in Deltapsim induced by 30 min of hypoxia and hypoglycemia. When exploring the pathway, we found that 1 micromol/L Dauricine inhibited the [Ca2+]i increase induced by 7.5 nmol/L thapsigargin in either the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+ and by 1 mmol/L L-glutamate in the presence of extracellular Ca2+.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that Dauricine prevents neuronal loss from ischemia in vitro, which is in accordance with our previous research in vivo. In addition, by inhibiting Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space, Dauricine suppressed the increase in [Ca2+]i and, subsequently, the decrease in Deltapsim induced by hypoxia and hypoglycemia. This effect may underlie the mechanism of action of Dauricine on cerebral ischemia.

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2012 Jun 15;261(3):248-54.

CYP3A-mediated apoptosis of dauricine in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells and in lungs of CD-1 mice.[Pubmed: 22521607 ]

Dauricine is the major bioactive component isolated from the root of Menispermum dauricum DC and has shown promising pharmacologic activities with a great potential for clinical use. Recently, we found that intraperitoneal exposure of Dauricine produced selective pulmonary injury in mice. A quinone methide metabolite of Dauricine was identified and is suggested to be associated with the pulmonary toxicity of Dauricine.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The present study evaluated the apoptotic effect of Dauricine in cultured cells and mice, determined the change in cellular glutathione (GSH) contents after exposure to Dauricine, investigated the role of GSH depletion in Dauricine-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and examined the role of CYP3A in Dauricine-induced GSH depletion and apoptosis. Dauricine was found to induce apoptosis in NL-20 cells. Additionally, intraperitoneal administration of Dauricine caused GSH depletion and apoptosis in lungs of mice. Treatment with ketoconazole, an inhibitor of CYP3A, reversed cellular GSH depletion in lungs of mice given Dauricine and showed protective effect on Dauricine-induced apoptosis in lungs of mice. This indicates that metabolic activation is involved in Dauricine-induced GSH-depletion, cytotoxicity and apoptosis. The glutathione depletor L-buthionine sulfoximine showed potentiating effect on cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by Dauricine.
CONCLUSIONS:
We propose that Dauricine is metabolized to a quinone methide intermediate which depletes cellular GSH, and the depletion of GSH may trigger and/or intensify the cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by Dauricine.