Volume 7 Issue 3
Marine Compounds Selectively Induce Apoptosis in Female Reproductive Cancer Cells but Not in Primary-Derived Human Reproductive Granulosa Cells
Vicki Edwards, Kirsten Benkendorff and Fiona Young
1Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, S.A. 5001, Australia
2School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, S.A. 5001, Australia
3School of Environmental Sciences and Management, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Anticancer properties of tyrindoleninone and 6-bromoisatin from Dicathais orbita were tested against physiologically normal primary human granulosa cells (HGC) and reproductive cancer cell lines. Tyrindoleninone reduced cancer cell viability with IC50 values of 39 µM (KGN; a tumour-derived granulosa cell line), 39 μM (JAr), and 156 μM (OVCAR-3), compared to 3516 μM in HGC. Apoptosis in HGC’s occurred after 4 h at 391 µM tyrindoleninone compared to 20 µM in KGN cells. Differences in apoptosis between HGC and KGN cells were confirmed by TUNEL, with 66 and 31% apoptotic nuclei at 4 h in KGN and HGC, respectively. These marine compounds therefore have potential for development as treatments for female reproductive cancers.
Keywords:gynaecological cancers; brominated indoles; marine mollusc; apoptosis