6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine

6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine is a natural product. 6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine shows strong cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and SF-268 cell lines with IC50 values of 0.61 μM and 0.54 μM, respectively.It has antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from1.9 to 3.9 microg/ml6-methoxydihydrosanguinarine (6ME), a benzophenanthridine alkaloid isolated from Hylomecon species, may have potential as a chemotherapeutic agent. 6ME inhibits the growth of HepG2 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (IC50=3.8+/-0.2 microM following 6 h incubation) . Treatment of HepG2 cells with 6ME resulted in the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c followed by the activation of caspase proteases, and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. 6ME increased the expression of p53 and bax and decreased the expression of bcl-2. The cytotoxic effect of 6ME is mediated by the time-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species. Preincubation of HepG2 cells with vitamin C decreased the expression of p53 and bax and inhibited the release of cytochrome c, activation of downstream caspase and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, thus inhibiting the apoptosis inducing effect of 6ME.