The Antiproliferative and Proapoptotic Effects of Cucurbitacin B on BPH-1 Cells via the p53/MDM2 Axis

Abstract

Cucurbitacin B (Cu B), a triterpenoid compound, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Most studies only focus on the hepatoprotective activity of Cu B, and little effort has been geared toward exploring the effect of Cu B on the prostate. Our study identified that Cu B inhibited the proliferation of the benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cell line (BPH-1). At the molecular level, Cu B upregulated MDM2 and thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) mRNA levels. Immunocytochemistry results revealed that the protein expressions of p53 and MDM2 were upregulated in BPH-1 cells. Furthermore, Cu B upregulated THBS1 expression and downregulated COX-2 expression in the BPH-1 cell supernatant. Altogether, Cu B may inhibit prostate cell proliferation by activating the p53/MDM2 signaling cascade and downregulating the COX-2 expression.