belongs to the class of organic compounds known as cardenolide glycosides and derivatives. Cardenolide glycosides and derivatives are compounds containing a carbohydrate glycosidically bound to the cardenolide moiety.
Convallatoxin (CNT) is classified as a cardiac glycoside. Cardiac glycosides are well known Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitors, and some of them are used to treat congestive heart failure and atrial arrhythmias. Recent studies have reported that cardiac glycosides have potential as anticancer agents. CNT exerts cytotoxic effects on a number of cancer and normal cell lines and induces apoptosis by increasing caspase-3 and poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Moreover, dose- and time-dependent autophagic activity was detected in CNT-treated cells, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70S6K signal pathway inhibition was observed. Notably, CNT inhibits human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) growth and exerts anti-angiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. (1)
