Mi Zhou,Yanlan Yang,Shoulun He,Qiannan Xu,Chunchun Du,Wenjing Tian,Haifeng Chen
Phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 1 at Ser-345 (p-CHK1(S345)) mediates the replication stress response in cancer cells, leading to chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, finding inhibitors of p-CHK1(S345) is currently a promising strategy to prevent acquired drug resistance. In this study, 14 ingenane diterpenoids (1–14), involving two undescribed compounds possessing an unprecedented exocyclic double bond Δ6(20), were identified from Euphorbia peplus. The inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds on p-CHK1(S345) and their structure–activity relationship (SAR) were investigated. Compounds 7 and 8 presented the strongest inhibitory effects, abrogated cell cycle arrest, and caused the accumulation of DNA damage, improving the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. An in vivo assay confirmed the enhancement of 8 on the anticancer effect of topotecan via blocking of p-CHK1(S345). Mechanistically, 8 increased CHK1 ubiquitination to inhibit p-CHK1(S345) via activation of protein kinase C (PKC). PKC activation was first found to enhance CHK1 ubiquitination to block p-CHK1(S345). Above all, this finding not only indicates that compound 8 could be developed as a novel CHK1 inhibitor but also reveals a previously unrecognized role of PKC in regulating cancer chemotherapy sensitivity.
The Euphorbia plants are famous for their diterpenoid constituents with diverse structures and broad biological activities. Herein, the discovery of 15 ingenane diterpenoids including 10 previously unreported ones ( 1 − 10 ) from Euphorbia antiquorum was presented. Structures of the undescribed compounds were established via detailed spectroscopic analyses. Meanwhile, a preliminary anti-inflammatory screening revealed that compound 6 showed significant inhibitory activity against the production of nitric oxide, as well as downregulated the expression of COX-2 and IL-6, in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Further mechanistical exploration revealed that compound 6 could exert its anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting NF-κB and activating Nrf2 signaling pathways.