The Role of Citrus Nobiletin on Oxidative Stress Levels and Superoxide Dismutase Activities in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Nobiletin (NOB) is a polymethoxylated flavone. It has multiple biologic activities that can modulate oxidative stress in many cancer types. However, there is no study in the literature that has examined the effects of NOB on oxidative stress levels in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (MCRPC) yet. Motivated from this gap, we investigated the impact of NOB on oxidative stress and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activities in MCRPC as a preliminary study. For this purpose, PC-3 and HUVEC cells were used to determine the effects of NOB on the amount of Malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and proline as well as SOD enzyme activities. NOB potentially induced SOD enzyme activities but the level of MDA, H2O2, and proline decreased after incubation with NOB in PC-3 cells (p<.05 and p<.001 were considered statistically significant). Our results confirmed that NOB acted as a protective agent for cancer cells and could selectively regulate oxidant status in MCRPC cells. Consequently, these preliminary findings provide better insight into the role of citrus NOB on oxidative stress levels and antioxidant enzyme activities in MCRPC. Additionally, there is a need to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of this cytoprotective effect of NOB as a potential chemotherapeutic agent.