Context: Chemoprevention has been acknowledged as an important and practical strategy for the management of skin cancer. Norathyriol, a naturally occurring compound present in various plants, has a potent anticancer-promoting activity.
Aims: The aim was to investigate the chemopreventive activity of norathyriol on JB6 P+ cells.
Materials and methods: A soft agar assay was used to detect the effect of norathyriol on cell transformation. The activator protein-1 (AP-1) transactivation activity was examined by the luciferase assay.
Results: Norathyriol inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)- and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced neoplastic cell transformation in a dose-dependent manner. The activation of activator protein-1 was dose dependently suppressed by norathyriol treatment. Western blot data revealed that norathyriol attenuated the phosphorylation of Akt.
Conclusions: Norathyriol exerts a potent chemopreventive activity by inhibiting Akt activation in neoplastic cell transformation.