title: In vitro effects of beta-carotene on human oral keratinocytes from precancerous lesions and squamous carcinoma.
abstract: Human keratinocytes, obtained from bioptic specimens of healthy and preneoplastic oral mucosa, and from human cell lines from oral cavity tumors (KB and SCC-25) were treated with beta-carotene (10 microM). The colony forming efficiency (CFE), the proliferation rate and the frequency of micronucleated cells were measured in these cultures. CFE was significantly reduced (p less than 0.05) by beta-carotene treatment in cells from healthy mucosa and in KB cells. Decreases (p greater than 0.05; NS) were also observed in cells from pathological mucosa and in SCC-25 cells. Cell proliferation rate was not substantially affected by beta-carotene in all cultures. Finally, a decreased frequency of micronucleated cells was found in treated cultures, but significant reductions (p less than 0.05) were only observed in cultures from oral mucosa (healthy and pathological) as well as in KB cell cultures. Our results indicate that beta-carotene is able to reduce the clonogenic activity (CFE), even if it does not seem to influence cell proliferation, and that it has a protective effect against genotoxic damage.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Oncologia Medica, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro (IST), Viale, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicoló
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morerio
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Magiante
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonatti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cancedda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids