[Comparison of antitumor efficacy between arsacetyl and arsenic trioxide in vitro].

Abstract

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE:

Recently, it was reported that some organic arsenics was stronger than inorganic arsenics in inducing carcinoma cell apoptosis. This study was designed to compare arsacetyl (ASAC), a kind of organic arsenics, with As2O3 in the effect of inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in carcinoma cells.

METHODS:

MTT (Methythiazolyl tetrazolium) assay and analysis of apoptosis were used to evaluate the effects of arsacetyl and As2O3 on the proliferation of SMMC-7721 and their mechanisms. Their toxicity to vessel endothelium cells (VECs) was also determined by using MTT method.

RESULTS:

Both As2O3 and arsacetyl significantly inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721, the inhibitory effect was dose- and time-dependent and arsacetyl was stronger than As2O3 [e.g. inhibitory ratio: (14.2 +/- 1.5)%, treated with 0.1 mumol/L arsacetyl for 48 h; (27.1 +/- 3.0)%, treated with 0.1 mumol/L arsacetyl for 48 h]. 1 mumol/L As2O3 and 0.1 mumol/L arsacetyl almost had no toxicity to VEC, while they induced SMMC-7721 apoptosis indicated morphologically by "small apoptopic body" formation; DNA ladders appeared on agarose gel electrophoresis. The flow cytometry assay indicated that most of the cells were arrested in S + G2/M phase and the apoptotic peak appeared.

CONCLUSION:

The ability of arsacetyl inducing apoptosis was stronger than As2O3, and SMMC-7721 in the G0/G1 phase may be the target of drug action.

• Authors: Feng-ling Huang, Yuan-liang Wang, Chun-xiao Chen, Hui-nan Wang
• Journal: Ai zheng = Aizheng = Chinese journal of cancer (Ai Zheng) Vol. 21 Issue 4 Pg. 395-400 (Apr 2002) China
• PMID: 12452019 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Arsenicals
• Oxides
• arsacetyl
• Arsenic Trioxide

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents (pharmacology)
• Apoptosis
• Arsenic Trioxide
• Arsenicals (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (pathology)
• DNA Fragmentation (drug effects)
• Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
• Endothelium, Vascular (drug effects)
• Flow Cytometry
• G1 Phase (drug effects)
• Humans
• Inhibitory Concentration 50
• Liver Neoplasms (pathology)
• Oxides (pharmacology)
• Resting Phase, Cell Cycle (drug effects)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured