title: Antiproliferative effects of lectins from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia brasiliensis in human leukemia cell lines.
abstract: The antiproliferative activity of lectins Canavalia ensiformis (ConA) and Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr) were studied using human leukemia MOLT-4 and HL-60 cell lines. It was revealed that both ConA and ConBr were markedly cytotoxic to cells using MTT and NAC assays. The IC(50) values were approximately 3 and 20 μg/mL for ConA and ConBr, respectively, for both MOLT-4 and HL-60 cells. However, in normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes, the lectins were not cytotoxic, even when tested at concentrations as high as 200 μg/ml. Using comet assay, the lectins produced a rate of DNA damage exceeding 80% in MOLT-4 and HL-60 cells. Fluorescence analysis revealed the morphology characteristic of apoptosis, with low concentrations of apoptotic bodies and fragmented DNA (5 μg/ml). Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated an accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 cell cycle that is characteristic of DNA fragmentation, and a decrease in membrane integrity at high concentrations. Lastly, we evaluated the alterations in mitochondrial potential that reduced after treatment with lectins. Our results indicate that ConA and ConBr inhibited cell proliferation selectively in tumor cells and that apoptosis was the main death mechanism. Therefore, lectins can be considered a class of molecules with a high antitumor activity potential.
authors: Departamento de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors: Glaucia V
authors: GV
authors: Faheina-Martins
authors: Alethéia Lacerda
authors: AL
authors: da Silveira
authors: Bruno C
authors: BC
authors: Cavalcanti
authors: Márcio V
authors: MV
authors: Ramos
authors: Manoel O
authors: MO
authors: Moraes
authors: Cláudia
authors: C
authors: Pessoa
authors: Demetrius A M
authors: DA
authors: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D032449:Canavalia / Q000737:chemistry*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D059585:G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D037121:Plant Lectins; C039268:lectin, Canavalia