Betulin elicits anti-cancer effects in tumour primary cultures and cell lines in vitro.
Betulin is a pentacyclic triterpene found in many plant species, among others, in white birch bark. The aim of the study was in vitro characterization of the anticancer activity of betulin in a range of human tumour cell lines (neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma-medulloblastoma, glioma, thyroid, breast, lung and colon carcinoma, leukaemia and multiple myeloma), and in primary tumour cultures isolated from patients (ovarian carcinoma, cervical carcinoma and glioblastoma multiforme). In this study, we demonstrated a remarkable anti-proliferative effect of betulin in all tested tumour cell cultures. Neuroblastoma (SK-N-AS) and colon carcinoma (HT-29) were the most sensitive to the anti-proliferative effect of betulin. Furthermore, betulin altered tumour cells morphology, decreased their motility and induced apoptotic cell death. These findings demonstrate the anti-cancer potential of betulin and suggest that they may be applied as an adjunctive measure in cancer treatment.
Rzeski
Wojciech
W
Department of Virology and Immunology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland. rzeskiw@hektor.umcs.lublin.pl
Stepulak
Andrzej
A
Szymański
Marek
M
Juszczak
Małgorzata
M
Grabarska
Aneta
A
Sifringer
Marco
M
Kaczor
Józef
J
Kandefer-Szerszeń
Martyna
M
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000094062:Betulinic Acid
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014315:Triterpenes; C002503:betulin; D000094062:Betulinic Acid