Does usnic acid affect microtubules in human cancer cells?

Brazilian Journal of Biology

Ma. O'neill²  M. Mayer¹  Ke. Murray²  Hml. Rolim-santos¹  Ns. Santos-magalhães¹  Am. Thompson²  Vcl. Appleyard² 

[1],University of Dundee Ninewells Hospital and Medical School Department of Surgery and Molecular OncologyDundee Scotland ,UK

关键词: usnic acid;    microtubules;    breast cancer;    lung cancer;    ácido úsnico;    microtúbulos;    câncer de mama;    câncer de pulmão;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1519-69842010005000013

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Usnic acid, a lichen metabolite, is known to exert antimitotic and antiproliferative activities against normal and malignant human cells. Many chemotherapy agents exert their activities by blocking cell cycle progression, inducing cell death through apoptosis. Microtubules, protein structure involved in the segregation of chromosomes during mitosis, serve as chemotherapeutical targets due to their key role in cellular division as well as apoptosis. The aim of this work was to investigate whether usnic acid affects the formation and/or stabilisation of microtubules by visualising microtubules and determining mitotic indices after treatment. The breast cancer cell line MCF7 and the lung cancer cell line H1299 were treated with usnic acid 29 µM for 24 hours and two positive controls: vincristine (which prevents the formation of microtubules) or taxol (which stabilizes microtubules). Treatment of MCF7 and H1299 cells with usnic acid did not result in any morphological changes in microtubules or increase in the mitotic index. These results suggest that the antineoplastic activity of usnic acid is not related to alterations in the formation and/or stabilisation of microtubules.

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