Anticancer properties of canflavin A and potential synergistic effects

J Hemp Res. 2022 Jul 22; 4 (1): 41. doi: 10.1186/s42238-022-00151-y.

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have demonstrated the anti-tumor effects of the components present in cannabis in different models. Unfortunately, little is known about the potential antitumor effects of most compounds in cannabis in bladder cancer and how these compounds may positively or negatively affect the actions of chemotherapeutic agents. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of a compound present in Cannabis sativa that has not yet been extensively studied, cannflavin A, in bladder cancer cell lines. We aimed to determine whether co-treatment of canflavin A with agents commonly used to treat bladder cancer, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, is able to produce synergistic effects. We also evaluated whether co-treatment of cannflavin A with different cannabinoids could produce synergistic effects.

METHODS: Two transitional cell carcinoma cell lines were used to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of the flavonoid canflavin A up to 100 μM. We tested the potential synergistic cytotoxic effects of cannflavin A with gemcitabine (up to 100 nM), cisplatin (up to 100 μM), and cannabinoids (up to 10 μM). We also evaluated the activation of the apoptotic cascade with Annexin V and whether cannflavin A has the ability to reduce invasion using the Matrigel assay.

RESULTS: The cell viability of bladder cancer cell lines was affected in a concentration-dependent manner in response to canflavin A, and its combination with gemcitabine or cisplatin-induced differential responses—from antagonistic to additive—and synergistic also was also observed in some cases, depending on the concentrations and drugs used. Cannflavin A also activated apoptosis by caspase 3 cleavage and was able to reduce invasion by 50%. Interestingly, cannflavin A displayed synergistic properties with other cannabinoids such as Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabichrome, cannabifarin in bladder cancer cell lines.

Discussion: Our results indicate that compounds from Cannabis sativa other than hemp, such as the flavonoid cannflavin A, can be cytotoxic to human transitional bladder cancer cells and that this compound can exert synergistic effects when combined with other agents. In vivo studies will be required to confirm the activity of cannflavin A as a potential agent for the treatment of bladder cancer.

PMID:35869542 | DOI:10.1186 / s42238-022-00151-y