title: Metronidazole affects breast cancer cell lines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of metronidazole (MTZ) on cytotoxicity and DNA synthesis in MCF-7 (estrogen receptor positive) and MDA-MB-231 (estrogen receptor negative) breast cancer cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Toxicity of MTZ was determined by MTT test. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were incubated with metronidazole used in different concentrations for 24, 48 and 72 hours. The effect of MTZ on DNA synthesis was measured as [3H]-thymidine incorporation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We showed that MTZ in concentration 250 μg/ml significantly increases the growth of MCF-7 cell lines after 24 hours of incubation, but it reduces cell viability in concentrations 1 and 10 μg/ml 72 hours after the drug application. Significant increase of MDA-MB-231 cell viability was obtained in MTZ concentration of 250 μg/ml after 24 and 72 hours. The increase of [3H]-thymidine incorporation in MCF-7 cell line treated with MTZ in concentration 250 μg/ml was statistically significant after 24 hours. Great suppression of cell proliferation was obtained in MDA-MB-231 breast cell line after application of the following concentrations of MTZ: 0.1 μg/ml (after 24 hours) and 0.1, 10, 50, 250 μg/ml (after 72h).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that metronidazole exerts different dose- and time- dependent effects on human breast cancer cell lines characterized by presence or absence of estrogen receptors. We suggest that these discrepancies may be influenced by the estrogen signaling.
authors: Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. zfarmdosw@umb.edu.pl
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Sadowska
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Prokopiuk
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Miltyk
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Surażyński
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Konończuk
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sawicka
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Car
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013936:Thymidine / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D008795:Metronidazole; D004247:DNA; D013936:Thymidine