抄録
It is well known that tocotrienols act as potential anti-cancer agents, irrespective of anti-oxidant properties. In order to reinforce the anti-cancer effects by blocking the anti-oxidant properties, a new ether analogue of α-tocotrienol (α-T3), 6-O-carboxypropyl-α-tocotrienol (T3E), was synthesized and its anti-cancer potential was evaluated. The anti-cancer potential of α-T3 was drastically enhanced by blockade of the anti-oxidant potential, and T3E has relatively selective cytotoxicity on malignant tumor cells (lung adenocarcinoma cells and mesothelioma cells) compared with non-tumor cells. T3E also acts as a potential anti-cancer agent, due to regulation of several signal pathways related to the appearance of malignant phenotypes. That is, T3E suppresses proliferation, survival and invasion of tumor cells by inhibiting Ras, Src-HIF and Stat3 signal pathways. These data suggest that T3E is a new potential and promising anti-cancer agent.
