title: Influence of fetal bovine serum on cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of lectins in MCF-7 cells.
abstract: Canavalia ensiformis (ConA), Canavalia brasiliensis (Conbr), and Cratylia floribunda (CFL) lectins have exhibited glucose-mannose binding specificity. We investigated the effect of fetal bovine serum (FBS) concentrations (1, 5, 10, and 20%) on the cytotoxic effect of these lectins against breast tumor cell line MCF-7. Cell viability was examined using the MTT reduction assay. When cells were grown in a medium supplemented with a higher serum concentration (10 or 20%), all lectins were much less toxic. When we used 1% FBS, it was possible to achieve a concentration-dependent activity by all examined lectins, with an IC(50) of 3.5, 25, and 60 µg/mL for ConA, Conbr, and CFL, respectively. All lectins incubated with 1% FBS induced apoptosis and DNA damage in MCF-7 cells. We conclude that ConA, Conbr, and CFL lectins' cytotoxic and genotoxic effects were observed only at low concentrations of serum.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, CEP 58051-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glaucia Veríssimo
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Faheina-Martins
authors.forename: Alethéia Lacerda
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: da Silveira
authors.forename: Márcio Viana
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Luís Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Marques-Santos
authors.forename: Demetrius Antonio Machado
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Araujo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D032449:Canavalia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002417:Cattle; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008358:Mannose / Q000378:metabolism; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D037121:Plant Lectins; D005947:Glucose; D008358:Mannose