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Research: ZHENG and ZHENG,
Listed in Issue 81
Abstract
ZHENG and ZHENG, Institute of Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Peoples Republic of China, zhengr@lzu.edu.cn, explored the anticarcinogenic potential of ascorbic acid (AA ; vitamin C ) and sodium selenite (SS ) on human liver cancer cells in vitro.
Background
Methodology
Human hepatoma cells (BEL-7402) were treated in vitro with 3 mM AA and 1.5 M SS and were examined for the following: growth rate, mitotic index, indices of cell malignancy (e.g. cell surface charge, electrophoresis rate, alpha-fetoprotein [alpha-FP ] content, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase [gamma-GT ] activity), indices of cell differentiation (e.g. tyrosine- alpha-ketoglutarate [TAT ] activity and colonogenic potential). Activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD ], glutathione peroxidase [GPX ], catalase [CAT ]) and other indicators of antioxidant activity (malondialdehyde [MDA ] content, reduced glutathione [GSH ], hydrogen peroxide [H2O2 ] content) were also measured.
Results
Treatment of hepatoma cells with AA and SS resulted in decreases in growth rate and mitotic index . The treatment also caused decreases in indicators of cell malignancy, such as cell surface charge, electrophoresis rate (from 1.76 to 0.93 m/s/V/cm), average alpha-FP content (from 341 to 92 g/g protein) and gamma-GT activity (from 0.76 to 0.19 U/g protein). Levels of TAT activity increased (from 14.2 to 49.0 mol/g protein) and colonogenic potential decreased by 95.3%, indicating stimulation of cell differentiation . Treatment with AA and SS significantly increased the activities of SOD and GPX and the content of [H2O2 ] (dramatically), and decreased the activity of CAT and the contents of MDA (slightly) and GSH (markedly).
Conclusion
The findings indicate that the combination of AA and SS inhibited the growth of hepatoma cells and induced redifferentiation by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, reducing the formation of H2O2 and altering the cell redox status. AA and SS may represent a potent anticancer treatment option for human liver cancer.
References
Zheng QS, Zheng RL. Effects of ascorbic acid and sodium selenite on growth and redifferentiation in human hepatoma cells and its mechanisms. Die Pharmazie 57 (4): 265-9. Apr 2002.
