• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2005

Our previous study showed that a novel synthetic shikonin derivative, 6-(1-hydroxyimino-4-methylpentyl)5,8-dimethyoxy 1,4-naphthoquinone S-52 (DMNQ S-52) induced apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated its anti-metastatic activities as compared with shikonin because DMNQ S-52 was synthesized for overcoming weak points of shikonin such as high toxicity, low solubility and deleterious effects. DMNQ S-52 showed the weaker cytotoxicity $(IC_{50};\;12.3{\pm}1.6\;{\mu}M)$ against Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells than that of shikonin $(IC_{50};\;4.2{\pm}1.1\;{\mu}M)$. DMNQ S-52, at non-toxic concentrations $(less\;than\;10\;{\mu}M)$, significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of LLC cells. DMNQ S-52 also significantly inhibited the production of MMP-9, MTl-MMP and uPAR. Moreover, daily i.p. administration of DMNQ S-52 at dose of 5 mg/kg in mice resulted in a potent inhibition of the primary tumor size of LLC in the lung as well as the metastasis of lymph nodes. These findings suggest that the DMNQ S-52 has therapeutic potential to inhibit metastasis via inhibition of MMP family and uPA/plasminogen system.