title: Antiproliferative effects of selenium compounds in colon cancer cells: comparison of different cytotoxicity assays.
abstract: A number of cytotoxicity assays are currently available, each of them using specific approach to detect different aspects of cell viability, such as cell integrity, proliferation and metabolic functions. In this study we compared the potential of five commonly employed cytotoxicity assays (WST-1, XTT, MTT, Brilliant blue and Neutral red assay) to detect antiproliferative effects of three selenium compounds, sodium selenite, seleno-L-methionine (SeMet) and Se-(Methyl)selenocysteine (SeMCys) on three colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro. Cells were exposed to the selected selenium compounds in the concentration range of 0-256 microM during 48 h. WST-1 and XTT failed to detect cytotoxic effect, with the exception of the highest concentration of selenium compounds tested. Conversely, the metabolic activity of selenium treated cells measured by WST-1 and XTT significantly increased in comparison to untreated controls. MTT, Neutral red and Brilliant blue assays were more sensitive and yielded mutually comparable results, with significant decrease of measured parameters in a concentration-dependent manner. To a smaller extent, the results were affected by the different chemical nature of the selenium compounds tested as well as by the biological properties of individual cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Simkova 870, 500 38 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. schroterovaL@lfhk.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Ladislava
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schröterová
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Králová
authors.forename: Adéla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vorácová
authors.forename: Pavlína
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hasková
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rudolf
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cervinka
mesh_terms: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008715:Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D017279:Selenocysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D003603:Cytotoxins; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; C517785:methionine selenoxide; D017279:Selenocysteine; D008715:Methionine; D018038:Sodium Selenite; D003545:Cysteine; C002979:selenomethylselenocysteine