Isosilybin B and isosilybin A inhibit growth, induce G1 arrest and cause apoptosis in human prostate cancer LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells

Silymarin and, one of its constituents, silibinin exert strong efficacy against prostate Cancer (PCA); however, Anticancer efficacy and associated mechanisms of other components of silymarin, which is a mixture of flavonolignans, are largely unknown. Here we have assessed the Anticancer efficacy of two pure compounds isosilybin B and isosilybin A, isolated from silymarin, in human prostate carcinoma LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells. Isosilybin B and isosilybin A treatment resulted in growth inhibition and cell death together with a strong G(1) arrest and Apoptosis in both the cell lines. In the studies examining changes in cell cycle and Apoptosis regulators, isosilybin B and isosilybin A resulted in a decrease in the levels of both cyclins (D1, D3, E and A) and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK2, CDK4 and cell division cycle 25A), but caused an increase in p21, p27 and p53 levels, except in 22Rv1 cells where isosilybin B caused a decrease in p21 protein level. Isosilybin B- and isosilybin A-induced Apoptosis was accompanied with an increase in the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, caspase-9 and Caspase-3 and a decrease in Survivin levels. Compared with LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells, the antiproliferative and cytotoxic potentials of isosilybin B and isosilybin A were of much lesser magnitude in non-neoplastic human prostate epithelial PWR-1E cells suggesting the transformation-selective effect of these compounds. Together, this study for the first time identified that isosilybin B and isosilybin A, two diastereoisomers isolated from silymarin, have anti-PCA activity that is mediated via cell cycle arrest and Apoptosis induction.