ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that guggulsterones and 16-dehydroprogesterone exert antileukemic effects via the induction of apoptosis and differentiation. Guggulsterone treatment not only inhibited proliferation, but also induced apoptosis by abrogating the effects of smokeless tobacco/nicotine on PI3K/Akt pathway in head and neck cancer cells. These findings provide a rationale for designing future studies to evaluate the chemopreventive potential of guggulsteronein smokeless tobacco/nicotine associated with head and neck cancer. Guggulsterone dose-dependently inhibited isobutylmethylxanthine-induced melanogenesis and cellular tyrosinase activity with no cytotoxicity. Guggulsterone also inhibited a-melanocyte stimulating hormone-or forskolin-induced increases in melanogenesis, suggesting an action on the cAMP-dependent melanogenic pathway. The chapter suggests that inhibition of expression of gastric acid-inducing gene Na+/H+ exchanger-1 or activity or combination of amiloride and guggulsterone could be useful in control of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It provides the novel observations and reveals a novel mechanism of guggulsterone-anticancer activity that Adult Treatment Panel citrate lyase-regulated Akt inactivation is involved in guggulsterone-mediated inhibition of prostate cancer growth.
