Chelerythrine (chloride) is a potent, cell permeable inhibitor of protein kinase C (IC50 = 660 nM) that does not inhibit tyrosine protein kinases, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, or calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase.1 Chelerythrine also inhibits BclXL function (IC50 = 1.5 μM) by displacing Bax binding, inducing apoptosis in several cancer cell lines.2 Chelerythrine can also have PKC-independent effects, activate p38 MAP kinase and JUNK signaling pathways, and induce apoptosis in cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.
