The form of
selenium appears to be important for preventing
cancer in humans. Here, we evaluated
selenium levels in the serum and bone tissue samples from
osteosarcoma patients using atomic absorption spectrometry. The in vitro effects of
Se-methylselenocysteine (Se-MSC) on growth, cell cycle status, and apoptosis of
osteosarcoma cells were assessed using the WST-1 assay,
Hoechst 33342/
propidium iodide staining, and flow cytometry, respectively. In
osteosarcoma cases, the mean serum
selenium levels in
osteosarcoma tissue and normal bone were 0.08 mg/kg and 0.03 mg/kg, respectively (P < 0.05). Serum
selenium levels in
osteosarcoma and non-
osteosarcoma cases were 0.09 mg/L and 0.08 mg/L, respectively (P > 0.05). Se-MSC-treated MG63 cells showed altered cellular morphology, decreased viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and an increase in the sub-G1 cell population. Se-MSC also downregulated Bcl-2 expression and upregulated Bax. Se-MSC inhibited the proliferation of the
drug-resistant
osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2/MTX300 and enhanced the inhibitory effect of
pirarubicin on MG63 cells. Our data demonstrate that
selenium levels are significantly higher in
osteosarcoma tissue than normal bone tissue in
osteosarcoma patients. The results also support the anticancer effects of Se-MSC in
osteosarcoma. Further development of Se-MSC as an ancillary
chemotherapy agent in
osteosarcoma is warranted.