| Jasmonic acid (JA), cis-Jasmone (CJ), and Methyl jasmonate (MJ), belong to a family of plant stress hormones known as the jasmonates. In plants, these compounds function as activators of cellular responses to diverse situations including cell death. Proliferation and cytotoxicity assays showed that the jasmonates inhibited the proliferation of the prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3 and DU-145), cultured in vitro. In addition, the type of inhibition exhibited by these agents was analyzed using flow cytometry (BrdU assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining) and fluorescence microscopy. The mechanism of inhibition was studied using 5-lipoxygenase enzyme. All agents (CJ, JA and MJ) inhibited proliferation of the cells in dose- and kinetic-dependent manners. All the assays confirmed that the inhibition was through the induction of apoptosis and that the mechanism of inhibition may involve the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. The results indicated a potential role for these compounds in the treatment of human prostate cancer. |
