Cinobufagin is a cardiotoxic bufanolide steroid secreted by the Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans, having similar effects to digitalis and used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has potential antineoplastic activity and now is widely used in clinical practice, especially in anti-liver cancer. It has benn found to suppress cancer cell proliferation and cause apoptosis in cancer cells via a sequence of apoptotic modulators, including mitochondrial Bax and cytosolic chromosome c, and caspases 3, 8, and 9.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinobufagin
2. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug?cdrid=689412
3. http://www.yourdictionary.com/cinobufagin
4. https://www.medchemexpress.com/cinobufagin.html
Cinobufagin is a cardiotonic steroid that has been found in the skin of toads of genus Bufo and has diverse biological activities. It inhibits Na+/K+-ATPase activity in guinea pig heart ventricular muscle homogenates by 45% when used at a concentration of 0.3 μM. Cinobufagin is cytotoxic to HCT116 colorectal cancer cells in vitro with IC50 values of less than 50 ng/ml at 48- and 72-hour time points and induces apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. In vivo, cinobufagin (10 mg/kg) reduces tumor growth in an HCT116 mouse xenograft model. Cinobufagin (1 μg/ml) inhibits LPS-induced expression of MHC class II, CD80, and CD86 and release of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-10 in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. It also increases expression of the antimicrobial peptides hBD2 and hBD3 in dendritic cells. Cinobufagin exhibits dose-dependent antinociceptive effects in the hot-plate, acetic acid writhing, and formalin tests in mice.
Cinobufagine is a major component of cinobufacini (huachansu), is an important cardenolidal steroid. Cinobufagine was shown to exhibit potent anti-cancer effects.
ChEBI: Cinobufagin is a steroid lactone. It is functionally related to a bufanolide.
