Background:

Ro 48-8071 is an inhibitor of OSC (Oxidosqualene cyclase) with IC50 of appr 6.5 nM.?
In HepG2 cells, Ro 48-8071 reduces cholesterol synthesis dose dependently with an IC50 value of appr 1.5 nM[1]. Ro 48-8071 (10 μM) significantly reduces the viability of PC-3 prostate cancer cells, but not normal prostate cells. Ro 48-8071 (10-30 μM) induces apoptosis of both LNCaP and C4-2 cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. And castration-resistant PC-3 and DU145 cells also demonstrate significant levels of apoptosis following 24-hour treatment with Ro 48-8071. Ro 48-8071 (10-25 μM) reduces AR protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Ro 48-8071 (0.1-1 μM) increases ERβ protein expression dose-dependently in both hormone-dependent LNCaP and castration-resistant PC-3 cells[2]. Using mammalian cells engineered to express human ERα or ERβ protein, together with an ER-responsive luciferase promoter, Ro 48-8071 dose-dependently inhibits 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced ERα responsive luciferase activity (IC50, appr 10 μM), under conditions that are non-toxic to the cells[3].
Ro 48-8071 lowers LDL-C maximally appr 60% at 150 μmol/kg per day, with no further reduction up to 300 μmol/kg per day, leaving HDL-C unchanged at all doses in hamsters. Ro 48-8071 (≥00 μmol/kg per day) increases the amount of MOS in liver of hamsters. Ro 48-8071 (300 μmol/kg per day) remarkedly and significantly reduces VLDL secretion of hamsters[1]. Ro 48-8071 (5 or 20 mg/kg) significantly reduces in vivo tumor growth in mice, without weight loss of the mice. Furthermore, Ro 48-8071 at a concentration of 20 mg/kg, completely eradicates two of the 12 tumors being monitored in the mice in the timeframe tested[2]. Ro 48-8071 (20 mg/day/kg body weight) leads to a rapid and sustained inhibition (>50%) of cholesterol synthesis in the whole small intestine of BALB/c mice. Sterol synthesis is also reduced in the large intestine and stomach[4].
Reference：
[1]. Morand OH, et al. Ro 48-8.071, a new 2,3-oxidosqualene:lanosterol cyclase inhibitor lowering plasma cholesterol in hamsters, squirrel monkeys, and minipigs: comparison to simvastatin. J Lipid Res. 1997 Feb;38(2):373-90.
[2]. Liang Y, et al. Cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor RO 48-8071 suppresses growth of hormone-dependent and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. Onco Targets Ther. 2016 May 30;9:3223-32.
[3]. Liang Y, et al. Cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors as potent novel anti-cancer agents: suppression of hormone-dependent breast cancer by the oxidosqualene cyclase inhibitor RO 48-8071. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2014 Jul;146(1):51-62.
[4]. Chuang JC, et al. Sustained and selective suppression of intestinal cholesterol synthesis by Ro 48-8071, an inhibitor of 2,3-oxidosqualene:lanosterol cyclase, in the BALB/c mouse. Biochem Pharmacol. 2014 Apr 1;88(3):351-63.