Description
Cepharanthine is an alkaloid found in Stephania that exhibits anti-parasitic, antimalarial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-metastatic, and anticancer chemotherapeutic activities. Cepharanthine inhibits the development of Plasmodium in vitro and inhibits cell fusion and entry of HIV-1 by decreasing plasma membrane fluidity. Additionally, cepharanthine decreases LPS-stimulated expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in macrophages and prevents the activation of NF-κB, ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK; in animal models of lung injury, it decreases inflammation. This compound also inhibits cell and tumor growth, induces G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and decreases expression of STAT3, Bcl-xl, c-Myc, and cyclin D1 in osteosarcoma models. In models of cholangiocarcinoma, cepharanthine inhibits cell migration and tumor growth.
References
Desgrouas C, Chapus C, Desplans J, et al. In vitro antiplasmodial activity of cepharanthine. Malar J. 2014 Aug 22;13(1):327. PMID: 25145413.
Matsuda K, Hattori S, Komizu Y, et al. Cepharanthine inhibited HIV-1 cell-cell transmission and cell-free infection via modification of cell membrane fluidity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2014 May 1;24(9):2115-7. PMID: 24704028.
Huang H, Hu G, Wang C, et al. Cepharanthine, an alkaloid from Stephania cepharantha Hayata, inhibits the inflammatory response in the RAW264.7 cell and mouse models. Inflammation. 2014 Feb;37(1):235-46. PMID: 24045962.
Chen Z, Huang C, Yang YL, et al. Inhibition of the STAT3 signaling pathway is involved in the antitumor activity of cepharanthine in SaOS2 cells. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012 Jan;33(1):101-8. PMID: 22212432.
Uthaisar K, Seubwai W, Srikoon P, et al. Cepharanthine suppresses metastatic potential of human cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13 Suppl:149-54. PMID: 23480757.
Kudo K, Hagiwara S, Hasegawa A, et al. Cepharanthine exerts anti-inflammatory effects via NF-kB inhibition in a LPS-induced rat model of systemic inflammation. J Surg Res. 2011 Nov;171(1):199-204. PMID: 20334881.
