title: Effects of mistletoe (Viscum album L.) extracts on cultured tumor cells.
abstract: Bacterially fermented mistletoe preparations (BFMP) were tested on rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells and human leukemia Molt 4 cells. A dose-dependent inhibition of the growth rate of the cells was observed. For both cell lines, cytostatic concentrations, expressed in weight of fresh plant, were 0.5 mg/ml culture medium for oak BFMP and 1 mg/ml for apple tree BFMP. However, the action of the two preparations was markedly different on each cell line. Non-viable HTC cells were not stained by trypan blue while non-viable Molt 4 cells were fully colored by this reagent. A lysis of cellular membranes of HTC cells was observed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, oak BFMP inhibited the growth of virus transformed 3T3-SV40 cells more than that of non-transformed 3T3 cells. In contrast to BFMP, non-fermented extracts and a purified mistletoe lectin showed a greater inhibition of the growth of Molt 4 cells than of HTC cells. Samples withdrawn at different times during fermentation gradually lost their inhibitory effect on the growth of Molt 4 cells while their action on HTC cells increased up to the 4th day of fermentation. These results are discussed in relation to the cytotoxic substances of mistletoe already characterized.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D005285:Fermentation; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014784:Mistletoe; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D013539:Simian virus 40; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts