title: The mycotoxin zearalenone enhances cell proliferation, colony formation and promotes cell migration in the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116.
abstract: Zearalenone (ZEN) and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are fungal secondary metabolites produced by Fusarium and Aspergillus genera, respectively. These mycotoxins are found world-wide as corn and wheat contaminants. AFB1 is probably the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin. It has been demonstrated to be mutagenic, genotoxic, and hepatocarcinogenic. ZEN is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin that displays hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity and genotoxicity. Its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties have so far remained controversial and questionable. Using the colon carcinoma cell line HCT116, we will show here that ZEN, at low concentrations, enhances cell proliferation, increases colony formation and fastens cell migration after wound healing. The highest effect of ZEN was observed at a concentration 10 times lower as compared to AFB1. Our findings suggest thus that this mycotoxin exhibits carcinogenesis-like properties in HCT116 cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Substances Biologiquement Compatibles (LRSBC), Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Rue Avicenne, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Haila
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abassi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Substances Biologiquement Compatibles (LRSBC), Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Rue Avicenne, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ayed-Boussema
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U866, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon F-21000, France.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shirley
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Substances Biologiquement Compatibles (LRSBC), Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Rue Avicenne, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Salwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Substances Biologiquement Compatibles (LRSBC), Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Rue Avicenne, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia. Electronic address: hassen.bacha@fmdm.rnu.tn.
authors.forename: Hassen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bacha
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U866, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon F-21000, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Micheau
mesh_terms: D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D015025:Zearalenone
keywords: Aflatoxin B1; Clonogenic assay; HCT116 cells; Migration assay; Proliferation assay; Zearalenone