Bufothionine is a sulfur-containing compound which is present in the

bufotoxins Bufotoxins are a family of toxic steroid lactones or substituted tryptamines of which some may or may not be toxic. They occur in the parotoid glands, skin, and poison of many toads (genus ''Bufo'') and other amphibians, and in some plants and mu ...

secreted by the

parotoid gland The parotoid gland (alternatively, paratoid gland) is an external skin gland on the back, neck, and shoulder of toads and some frogs and salamanders. It can secrete a number of milky alkaloid substances (depending on the species) known collective ...

of certain

toads Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...

of the

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

Bufo ''Bufo'' is a genus of true toads in the amphibian family Bufonidae. As traditionally defined, it was a wastebasket genus containing a large number of toads from much of the world, but following taxonomic reviews most of these have been moved to ...

'' and '' Chaunus''. This specific compound can be found in the skin of certain species of toad such as the

Asiatic Toad The Asiatic toad or Chusan Island toad (''Bufo gargarizans'') is a species of toad endemic to East Asia. The species was previously classified as ''Bufo bufo gargarizans'', a subspecies of the common toad. Distribution and habitat It is commo ...

, '' Chaunus arunco'', '' Chaunus crucifer'', '' Chaunus spinulosus'', and '' Chaunus arenarum''.

Research

In ancient times, cinobufacini, which is extracted from the skin and the parotid venom glands of toad of the

bufo ''Bufo'' is a genus of true toads in the amphibian family Bufonidae. As traditionally defined, it was a wastebasket genus containing a large number of toads from much of the world, but following taxonomic reviews most of these have been moved to ...

genus was used to treat symptoms like swelling and pain. In the present time, cinobufacinin injections are used to achieve satisfactory effect on Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China. Bufothionine is a major active component of cinobufacini. Bufothionine has been shown to suppress growth of cancerous liver cells ''

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology an ...

'' .

In vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...

, bufothionine has also been showing relieved symptoms and anti inflammatory activities in tumor bearing mice. Experiments were conducted in which cultured cancer cells were shown to have an increase in

G2-M Cell cycle checkpoints are control mechanisms in the Eukaryote, eukaryotic cell cycle which ensure its proper progression. Each checkpoint serves as a potential termination point along the cell cycle, during which the conditions of the cell are a ...

damage checkpoint, ensuring that growth of the cell will not continue until the damage to the DNA is corrected while also showing a drop in the G0 and G1 activity, which pertains to phase where there is cell growth and RNA production. Bufothionine is shown to induce

autophagy Autophagy (or autophagocytosis; from the Ancient Greek , , meaning "self-devouring" and , , meaning "hollow") is the natural, conserved degradation of the cell that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components through a lysosome-dependent re ...

in hepatocellular carcinomas by inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 pathways, which may present possibilities of anti cancer mechanism in bufothionine through cinobufacini injections. Similarly, bufothionine has also been shown to increase the chances of cell death and decrease cell growth of gastric cancer related cells by inhibiting the PIM3 gene, which, in cancerous cells, increases the resistance of chemotherapeutic treatments. In

glioblastoma Glioblastoma, previously known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is one of the most aggressive types of cancer that begin within the brain. Initially, signs and symptoms of glioblastoma are nonspecific. They may include headaches, personality ch ...

multiforme (GBM), bufothionine presents anti-tumor activities in the GBM cells lines U87 and U373 by triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress to lead cell death in the U87 and U373 cells.

References

Vertebrate toxins Quaternary ammonium compounds Quinoline alkaloids Tryptamine alkaloids Organosulfites Heterocyclic compounds with 3 rings {{biochem-stub