title: Ascorbic acid inhibits the migration of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells.
abstract: The results of several experimental studies have shown that ascorbic acid inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant that acts as a scavenger for a wide range of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both tumour metastasis and cell migration have been correlated with the intracellular ROS level, so it was postulated that the inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid derivatives on cell motility may be caused by scavenging of ROS. Time-lapse analyses of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cell migration showed that both the speed of movement and the cell displacement were inhibited by ascorbic acid applied in concentrations ranging from 10 to 250 microM. This effect correlated with a reduction in the intracellular ROS level in WC 256 cells, suggesting that ROS scavenging may be a mechanism responsible for the inhibition of WC 256 cell migration. However, another potent antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, also efficiently decreased the intracellular ROS level in WC 256 cells, but did not affect the migration of the investigated cells. These results demonstrate that intact, unmodified ascorbic acid applied in physiologically relevant and non-toxic concentrations exerts an inhibitory effect on the migration of WC 256 carcinosarcoma cells, and that this may be one of the factors responsible for the anti-metastatic activity of vitamin C. However, our data does not support the hypothesis that the scavenging of intracellular ROS is the main mechanism in the inhibition of cancer cell migration by ascorbic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-378, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wybieralska
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koza
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sroka
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Czyz
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Madeja
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000502:physiology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D002279:Carcinoma 256, Walker / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D001205:Ascorbic Acid