• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.815-822
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• 2012

Piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene), a natural stilbene, is an analogue of resveratrol. Although recent experimental data have revealed the health benefit potency of piceatannol, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer activity have not yet been studied in detail. In the present study, the further possible mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its pro-apoptotic action in cultured human lung cancer A549 cells were investigated. Exposure of A549 cells to piceatannol resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis induction of A549 cells by piceatannol showed correlation with proteolytic activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9, and concomitant degradation of activated caspase-3 target proteins such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, phospholipase C-${\gamma}1$, ${\beta}$-catenin, and Inhibitor caspase-activated DNase. The increase in apoptosis by piceatannol treatment was also associated with an increase of pro-apoptotic Bax expression and decrease of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression, and caused down-regulation of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family members and up-regulation of Fas and Fas legend. In addition, piceatannol treatment markedly inhibited the expression of mRNA and proteins of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and the levels of NO production were progressively down-regulated by piceatannol treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. The results indicate that piceatannol may have therapeutic potential against human gastric cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.96-102
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• 2008

Piceatannol is a polyphenol that is found in abundant quantities in grapes and wine. Although recent experimental data revealed the anti-cancer potency of piceatannol, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antileukemic activity have not yet been studied in detail. In the present study, we investigated further possible mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human leukemia U937 cells. Exposure of U937 cells to piceatannol resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis as measured by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, which was associated with S phase arrest of the cell cycle. Piceatannol treatment markedly inhibited the activity of telomerase, and the levels of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase-associated protein-1 (TEP-1), main determinants of the telomerase enzymatic activity, were progressively down-regulated by piceatannol treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. However, the levels of cyclooxygenases (COXs) expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release were not changed in piceatannol-treated U937 cells. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of piceatannol.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.975-982
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• 2015

Piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-trihydroxystilbene), a natural stilbene, is an analogue of resveratrol. In the present study, possible mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its pro-apoptotic action in cultured human oral cancer YD-15 cells were investigated. To investigate whether or not piceatannol has effects on cancer cell viability, human oral YD-15 cells were treated with piceatannol (0, 50, and $100{\mu}M$). Piceatannol treatment ($100{\mu}M$) showed the strongest inhibition of cell proliferation and reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Chromatin condensation detected by DAPI staining significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating apoptosis. Piceatannol treatment activated initiator Bax (pro-apoptotic) and cPARP in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, piceatannol induced down-regulation of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic). We also evaluated the activity of piceatannol against oral cavity cancer tumors in mice. Piceatannol-treated nude mice bearing YD-15 xenograft tumors exhibited significantly reduced tumor volume and weight due to the potent effect of piceatannol on tumor cell apoptosis, as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Immunohistochemistry staining showed elevated expression of cleaved-caspase-3 as well as reduced expression of Ki-67 in the piceatannol-treated group. Therefore, piceatannol can be developed as a cancer preventive medicine due to its growth inhibitory effects and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.1226-1234
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• 2012

3,4,3',5'-Tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene (piceatannol) is a derivative of resveratrol with a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-cancer activities. We assessed the mechanisms by which piceatannol inhibits inflammatory responses using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated Raw264.7 murine macrophages. Piceatannol (0~10 ${\mu}mol/L$) decreased LPS-induced release of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, and inhibited LPS-induced protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-${\kappa}B$), activator protein (AP)-1, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) are crucial steps during an inflammatory response. Piceatannol prevented LPS-induced degradation of inhibitor of ${\kappa}B$ ($I{\kappa}B$), translocation of p65 to the nucleus, and phosphorylation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK). Additionally, piceatannol inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of STAT3 and IL-6-induced translocation of STAT3 to the nucleus. Furthermore, piceatannol increased the protein and mRNA levels of hemeoxygenase (HO)-1, the rate-limiting enzyme of heme catabolism that plays a critical role in mediating antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Piceatannol further induced antioxidant response elements (ARE)-driven luciferase activity in Raw264.7 cells transfected with an ARE-luciferase reporter construct containing the enhancer 2 and minimal promoter region of HO-1. These results suggest that piceatannol exerts anti-inflammatory effects via the down-regulation of iNOS expression and up-regulation of HO-1 expression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2008

The resveratrol analogue piceatannol (3,5,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a polyphenol present in grapes and wine and reported to have anti-carcinogenic activities. To investigate the mechanism of anticarcinogenic activities of piceatannol, the effects on CYP 1 enzymes were determined in Escherichia coli membranes coexpressing recombinant human CYP1A1, CYP1A2 or CYP1B1 with human NADPH-P450 reductase. Piceatannol showed a strong inhibition of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in a concentration-dependent manner, and $IC_{50}$ of human CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 was 5.8 ${\mu}M$ and 16.6 ${\mu}M$, respectively. However, piceatannol did not inhibit CYP1A2 activity in the concentration of up to 100 ${\mu}M$. Piceatannol exhibited 3-fold selectivity for CYP1B1 over CYP1A1. The mode of inhibition of piceatannol was non-competitive for CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. The result that piceatannol did not inhibit CYP1B1-mediated $\alpha$-naphthoflavone ($\alpha$-NF) metabolism suggests piceatannol may act as a non-competitive inhibitor as well. In human prostate carcinoma PC-3 cells, piceatannol induces apoptosis and prevents Aktmediated signal pathway. Taken together, abilities of piceatannol to induce apoptotic cell death as well as CYP1 enzyme inhibition make this compound a useful tool for cancer chemoprevention.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.907-913
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• 2012

Piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene) is a polyphenol detected in grapes, rhubarb, and sugarcane. Although recent experimental data revealed that this compound is known to exhibit immunosuppressive and antitumorigenic activities in several cell lines, the molecular mechanisms underlying anticancer activity are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated possible further mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human gastric cancer AGS cells. Piceatannol treatment resulted in the inhibition of growth and G1 arrest of the cell cycle in a concentration-dependent manner, as determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. The induction of G1 arrest by piceatannol was associated with the modulation of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and cyclins, up-regulation of the expression of Cdk inhibitor p21 (WAF1/CIP1) in both transcriptional and translational levels, and the inhibition of phosphorylation of retinoblastoma proteins and E2F1 expression. In addition, piceatannol treatment caused a progressive decrease in the expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 without significant changes in the levels of COX-1, which was correlated with a decrease in prostaglandin $E_2$ synthesis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2017

Advanced age is one of the risk factors for vascular diseases that are mainly caused by impaired nitric oxide (NO) production. It has been demonstrated that endothelial arginase constrains the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and limits NO generation. Hence, arginase inhibition is suggested to be vasoprotective in aging. In this study, we examined the effects of intravenous injection of Piceatannol, an arginase inhibitor, on aged mice. Our results show that Piceatannol administration reduced the blood pressure in aged mice by inhibiting arginase activity, which was associated with NO production and reactive oxygen species generation. In addition, Piceatannol administration recovered $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylation, eNOS phosphorylation and eNOS dimer stability in the aged mice. The improved NO signaling was shown to be effective in attenuating the phenylephrine-dependent contractile response and in enhancing the acetylcholine-dependent vasorelaxation response in aortic rings from the aged mice. These data suggest Piceatannol as a potential treatment for vascular disease.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.208-210
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• 2001

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.245-248
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• 2000

As a series of the studies on cultivated Korean rhubarb rhizomes (Rheum undulatum), five stilbene derivatives were screened for inhibitory activity against $5{\alpha}-reductase$. Of these, desoxyrhapontigenin, rhapontigenin, and piceatannol exhibited inhibition, whereas, two other stilbene glycosides, rhaponticin and $piceatannol-3'-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ did not show the inhibition.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.401-403
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• 1999

In continued studies on cultivated Korean rhubarb rhizomes (Rheum undulatum), three known stillbenes (desoxyrhapontigenin, rhapontigenin, piceatannol) have been screened for activity on blood platelet aggregation. Both rhapontigenin and desoxyrhapontigenin exhibited strong inhibition on the aggregation induced by arachidonic acid collagen. However, piceatannol did not show inhibition. These inhibitory effects may partially contribute to anti-blood stagnancy activity of rhubarb.