Anticarcinogenic effect of Umbelliferone in human prostate carcinoma: An in vitro study.

Purpose: To explore the chemoprotective effect of umbelliferone (UF) on prostate cancer cell lines, i.e. primary stage (LnCap) and last stage (PC3) prostate cancer together with the effect on the induction of apoptosis and alteration on cell cycle arrest.

Methods: Various concentrations of UF were evaluated against the different prostate cancer cell lines. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced cytokines related factor profiling, proinflammatory cytokines, and inflammatory mediators were studied using Western blot analysis.

Results: UF showed significant apoptotic effect. Moreover, treatment with UF did not show apoptosis or cell cycle arrest on the non-cancerous cells including BHP-1, suggesting a selective tumor cell specific effect. UF treatment also enhanced the expression of Bax in PC3 cells, but had no significant effect on the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Thus, the apoptosis induction was independent of NF-κB activation.

Conclusion: The results of the present investigation confirmed the chemoprotective effect of UF in early-stage (Ln- Cap) and late-stage (PC3) prostate cancer cells.