Disease relevance of Boswellic acid

• Mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory actions of boswellic acid derivatives in experimental colitis [1].
• However, targeted disruption of the p21 genes in colon carcinoma cells enhances rather than decreases boswellic acid toxicity [2].
• Boswellic acid acetate induces differentiation and apoptosis in highly metastatic melanoma and fibrosarcoma cells [3].
• Boswellic acid acetate induces apoptosis through caspase-mediated pathways in myeloid leukemia cells [4].

High impact information on Boswellic acid

• Coupling of boswellic acid-induced Ca2+ mobilisation and MAPK activation to lipid metabolism and peroxide formation in human leucocytes [5].
• Ectopic expression of wild-type p53 also induces p21, and facilitates boswellic acid-induced apoptosis [2].
• Boswellic acid-induced apoptosis requires protein, but not RNA synthesis, and is neither associated with free radical formation nor blocked by free radical scavengers [2].
• Daidzein and acetyl boswellic acid have been shown to be effective inducers of cell differentiation in HL-60 cells [6].
• Workup-dependent formation of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory boswellic acid analogues [7].

Chemical compound and disease context of Boswellic acid

• The mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of boswellic acid acetate, a 1:1 mixture of alpha-boswellic acid acetate and beta-boswellic acid acetate, isolated from Boswellia carterri Birdw on myeloid leukemia cells was investigated in six human myeloid leukemia cell lines (NB4, SKNO-1, K562, U937, ML-1, and HL-60 cells) [4].

Biological context of Boswellic acid

• Morphologic and DNA fragmentation assays indicated that the cytotoxic effect of boswellic acid acetate was mediated by induction of apoptosis [4].
• These data taken together suggest that boswellic acid acetate induces myeloid leukemia cell apoptosis through activation of caspase-8 by induced expression of DR4 and DR5, and that the activated caspase-8 either directly activates caspase-3 by cleavage or indirectly by cleaving Bid, which in turn decreases mitochondria membrane potential [4].

Anatomical context of Boswellic acid

• Boswellic acid acetate induces differentiation and apoptosis in leukemia cell lines [8].
• Boswellic acid acetate induced Bid cleavage and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential without production of hydrogen peroxide [4].

Gene context of Boswellic acid

• The mRNAs of death receptors 4 and 5 (DR4 and DR5) were induced in leukemia cells undergoing apoptosis after boswellic acid acetate treatment [4].
• The levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2, Bax, and Bcl-XL were not modulated by boswellic acid acetate [4].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Boswellic acid

• More than 50% of the cells underwent apoptosis after treatment with 20 mug/mL boswellic acid for 24 hours [4].

References