Ajoene inhibits both primary tumor growth and metastasis of B16/BL6 melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice.
Ajoene is an organosulphur compound derived from garlic with important effects on several membrane-associated processes such as platelet aggregation, as well as being cytotoxic for tumor cell lines in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ajoene on different cell types in vitro, as well as its inhibitory effects on both primary tumors and metastasis in a mouse model. We found ajoene to inhibit tumor cell growth in vitro, but also to inhibit strongly metastasis to lung in the B16/BL6 melanoma tumor model in C57BL/6 mice. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of the anti-metastatic effect of ajoene. Ajoene also inhibited tumor-endothelial cell adhesion, as well as the in vivo TNF-alpha response to lipopolysaccharide. Possible mechanisms of its antitumoral activity are discussed in the light of these results.
Taylor
Peter
P
Laboratorio de Patología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela. ptaylor@ivic.ve
Noriega
Raquel
R
Farah
Carla
C
Abad
María-Jesús
MJ
Arsenak
Miriam
M
Apitz
Rafael
R
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004220:Disulfides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013454:Sulfoxides
D004220:Disulfides; D013454:Sulfoxides; C048980:ajoene