erberine increases the expression of cytokines and proteins linked to apoptosis in human melanoma cell

Author(s)

Palma, Tais Vidal ^[1] ; Bianchin, Nathiele Botari ^[1] ; de Oliveira, Juliana Sorraila ^[1] ; Assmann, Charles Elias ^[1] ; das Neves Oliveira, Mona ^[2] ; Schetinger, Maria Rosa Chitolina ^[1] ; Morsch, Vera Maria ^[1] ; Ulrich, Henning ^[3] ; Pillat, Micheli Mainardi ^{[4, 5]} ; de Andrade, Cinthia Melazzo ^{[1, 6]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Santa Maria, Postgrad Program Biol Sci Biochem Toxicol, Ctr Nat & Exact Sci, Dept Chem, Santa Maria, RS - Brazil

^[2] Biolinker Synthet Biol IERLI, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Chem, Dept Biochem, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Santa Maria, Postgrad Program Pharmacol, Dept Microbiol & Parasitol, Santa Maria, RS - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Santa Maria, Postgrad Program Pharmaceut Sci, Santa Maria, RS - Brazil

^[6] Fed Univ Santa Maria RS, Ctr Rural Sci, Dept Small Anim Clin, Room 121, Vet Hosp Bldg, Ave Roraima 1000, BR-97105900 Santa Maria, RS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS; v. 49, n. 3 DEC 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer, and its incidence has increased considerably in the last decades. Melanoma presents difficult treatment with strong resistance of tumor cells, due to its extremely invasive nature with high capacity to metastases. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid, is a molecule found in several medicinal plants, and has been studied in several diseases, demonstrating antimicrobial, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties and anti-tumorigenic effects. Methods and results In SK-MEL-28 cells, 50 mu M BBR treatment for 24 h decreased cell viability by 50 percent. This concentration generated cell death both by early apoptosis and necrosis, with an increase in the DNA damage index. BBR increased ({*}p < 0.05) the proportion of cells in G1/G0 phase and decreased ((\#\#\#)p < 0.005) the percentage of cells in S phase. The alcaloid increased ({*}{*}{*}{*}p < 0.001) ROS production compared to untreated controls with an increase in activated caspase 3 and phosphorylated p53 protein levels. In addition, BBR significantly enhanced ERK as well as both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine expression compared to untreated controls. Conclusions BBR has important antiproliferative effects and may be alone or in adjunct therapy a promising candidate for melanoma treatment, a cancer with great incidence and high lethality. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/07366-4 - Purine and kinin receptors as targets of study and therapeutic interventions in neurological diseases
• Grantee: Alexander Henning Ulrich
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants