Cytotoxic effect of beta-carotene in vitro is dependent on serum concentration and source.

Abstract

In a previous study we reported that beta-carotene solubilized in tetrahydrofuran (THF) is toxic for human colonic tumor cells in vitro using media containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). Cytotoxicity was evident using beta-carotene concentrations that are achieved in human serum as a result of supplementation with 30 mg beta-carotene/day. In an attempt to determine the mechanism for this toxicity we investigated the effect of beta-carotene when present in human serum as a result of dietary supplementation. This effect was compared to that observed for cells incubated in THF-solubilized beta-carotene. The results indicate that human serum from subjects with a high concentration of beta-carotene is not cytotoxic. Subsequent analysis revealed that in contrast to the results using FCS, THF-solubilized beta-carotene is not cytotoxic in the presence of human serum. In addition, the effect observed with FCS is blunted with increasing FCS concentration from > or = 90% cytotoxicity using 10% FCS to 36% using 100% FCS. The difference in results obtained using FCS and human serum may be due to a serum component that is relatively lacking in FCS as compared to human serum.

• Authors: V Peram, S Iftikhar, H Lietz, S Mobarhan, T O Frommel
• Journal: Cancer letters (Cancer Lett) Vol. 106 Issue 1 Pg. 133-8 (Aug 23 1996) ISSN: 0304-3835 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 8827057 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Culture Media
• Furans
• beta Carotene
• tetrahydrofuran

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents (toxicity)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Colonic Neoplasms
• Culture Media
• Food, Fortified
• Furans
• Humans
• Time Factors
• Tumor Cells, Cultured
• beta Carotene (administration & dosage, blood, toxicity)