Investigation of biological and pharmacological effects of Chlorella vulgaris extract in xenografic tumors derived from leukemic cell lines

• Grant number: 14/16026-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2015
• End date: January 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Sara Teresinha Olalla Saad
• Grantee: Stéphany Oliveira Bastos
• Host Institution: Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia (HEMOCENTRO). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/51959-0 - Biology of neoplastic diseases of bone marrow, AP.TEM

Abstract

The use of natural substances for cancer prevention and treatment represents a realistic option for the fight against this disease. Among the compounds that have been detached lately, the extract of unicellular alga Chorella vulgaris receives attention for presenting anti tumor action and regulatory effect on the immune system, and it participates in the fight against tumor cells. Therefore, the investigation about the potential influence of CV extract in proliferation and maintenance of neoplastic cells already works with the use of CV in cell lines that represent acute (KG-1, HL-60, U937, Jurkat and Molt) and chronic (K562) leukemias and myelodysplasia (MDS-L and P39). These are being cultivated in the presence of CV extract, and their genotypic and phenotypic, proliferative and cell death by apoptosis behavior it's being assessed. However, it is still necessary to validate these results in vivo. Therefore, this project aims to develop animal models (with subcutaneous tumors and induced leukemia), so we can analyze the effect of the CV extract in vivo. Also in this project, it is planned to develop animal models to analyze the effect of CV extract in vivo, so that, in the future, it may be used together with the clinical treatment of leukemias. The leukemic cells will be inoculated in 3 animal groups: 1) use of placebo; 2) previous use of CV and maintenance until the sacrifice of the animals; and 3) introduction of CV after 7 days of the leukemic cells inoculation. The CV extract will be administered by gavage. After 21 days of the leukemic cells inoculation, the animals will be sacrificed and the tumors will be assessed for cellular death by Tunel assay, and the activated caspases 3, 8 and 9 expression will be assessed by imunohystochemistry. Besides, proteins involved in cellular proliferation (like EGFR, AKT, NFk-², JAK and STAT) and in cellular death (Bcl-2 family) will be assessed by western blotting.