Suicidal oxidative stress induced by certain antioxidants.
Well known antioxidants-coumarins (7,8-dihydroxy-4-methyl coumarin-DHMC and 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methyl coumarin-DAMC) and flavonoids (quercetin-Q and quercetin penta-acetate-QPA) were investigated for their pro-oxidant effects in two human tumor cell lines. The breast carcinoma cell line (MDA-MB-468) was found to be more sensitive to treatment by the drugs-DAMC, Q and QPA at 10 microM than the glioma cell line (U-87MG), while DHMC was non toxic in both cell lines at this concentration. In MDA-MB-468 distinct growth inhibition was observed by 48 hr post treatment. Paradoxically, an increase in the formazan production was revealed by MTT assay at this time indicating an increase in the production of free radicals. An increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also confirmed by DCFH-DA assay. In cells treated with DAMC, Q and QPA an increase in the percentage of cells with the hypodiploid DNA content was suggestive of apoptotic cell death. Taken together, these results suggest that an increase in oxidative stress caused by the pro-oxidant action of these drugs is responsible for cell death.
Division of Biocybernetics and Radiopharmaceuticals, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Timarpur, Delhi 110 054, India.
Ligy
L
Koshy
B S
BS
Dwarakanath
H G
HG
Raj
R
R
Chandra
T Lazar
TL
Mathew
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003374:Coumarins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011003:Ploidies; D011794:Quercetin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000975:Antioxidants; D003374:Coumarins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011794:Quercetin; C030123:coumarin