title: Evaluation of the effects of paederus beetle extract and gamma irradiation on HeLa cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cervical cancer is a malignancy that is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women throughout the world. Paederus beetle (Paederus fuscipes) extract (PBE), contains bioactive compounds such as pederine which has cytotoxic properties and blocks DNA and protein synthesis at very low concentrations. In this investigation we tried to determine the effects co-treatment with PBE and gamma irradiation on HeLa cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  THE VIABILITY OF THE CELLS WAS MEASURED BY TWO METHODS: MTT and Colony assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that supplementing gamma irradiation therapy with PBE does not increase cell death and it might even interfere with its cytotoxicty at the concentrations below 0.1 ng/ml and the viability for irradiation vs irradiation + PBE was 37%: 60%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding might be due to radioprotective effects of the very low doses of PBE against gamma radiation.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Samani
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Shabestani
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Monfared
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran ; Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zabihi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khafri
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Therapy & Oncology, Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Babolsar, Iran.
authors.forename: Maesoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Haleh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akhavan Niaki
keywords: Gamma irradiation; Pederine; Radioprotection; Radiosensitizer