title: Effects of Agelas oroides and Petrosia ficiformis crude extracts on human neuroblastoma cell survival.
abstract: Among marine sessile organisms, sponges (Porifera) are the major producers of bioactive secondary metabolites that defend them against predators and competitors and are used to interfere with the pathogenesis of many human diseases. Some of these biological active metabolites are able to influence cell survival and death, modifying the activity of several enzymes involved in these cellular processes. These natural compounds show a potential anticancer activity but the mechanism of this action is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of two Mediterranean sponges, Agelas oroides and Petrosia ficiformis on the viability of human neuroblastoma cells. Upon treatment with the methanolic extract of Petrosia ficiformis, a marked cytotoxic effect was observed at any concentration or time of exposure. In contrast, a time- and dose-dependent effect was monitored for Agelas oroides that induced the development of apoptotic features and ROS production in LAN5 cells. These events were suppressed by calpeptin or zVAD and by vitamin C suggesting that the cell death caused by Agelas oroides was calpain- and caspase-dependent and of oxidative nature. Comet assay showed that this methanolic extract was not able to produce a genotoxic effect. Future studies will be applied to investigate the effect of isolated bioactive compounds from crude extract of this sponge which are potentially useful for cancer therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Department for the Study of Territory and its Resources, University of Genoa, I-16132 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marengo
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Ciucis
authors.forename: Mariapaola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitti
authors.forename: Maria Adelaide
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pronzato
authors.forename: Umberto Maria
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Marinari
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pronzato
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manconi
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Domenicotti
mesh_terms: D047230:Agelas / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D020552:Comet Assay; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D047130:Petrosia / Q000737:chemistry*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D001205:Ascorbic Acid