title: Antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of astemizole on cervical cancer cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cervical cancer is a major cause of mortality among women in developing countries. Thus, it is necessary to offer novel therapies to treat this malignancy. Astemizole has been suggested as a novel and interesting anticancer agent because it targets several proteins involved in cancer including Eag1 (ether à-go-go-1) potassium channels. Eag1 has been proposed as a tumor marker for different types of cancer. Actually, we previously suggested Eag1 channels as cervical cancer and dysplasia markers. Besides, Eag1 has been proposed as a therapeutic target for different malignancies. However, the effect of astemizole in cervical cancer cells is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effect of astemizole on the proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa, SiHa, CaSki, INBL, and C-33A) were cultured according to manufacturer's instructions. Eag1 protein expression was studied by immunocytochemistry. Cell proliferation was assayed with the MTT method, and apoptosis was investigated by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eag1 protein expression was observed in different cell lines. Astemizole decreased cell proliferation in up to 40% and increased apoptosis severalfold in all the cell lines studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest astemizole as a potential therapy for cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Pharmacology, and †Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Mexico City, México.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Guadalupe Chávez-López
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernández-Gallegos
authors.forename: Alma Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Sánchez
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gariglio
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camacho
mesh_terms: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D016589:Astemizole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; C496884:KCNH1 protein, human; D016589:Astemizole