SYSTEMIC ACTIVITY OF Prosopis strombulifera ON B16F0 HOMOGRAFT MELANOMA TUMORS

TRONCOSO, M; PERSIA, FA; MONTILLA, AL; HAPON, MB; GAMARRA LUQUES, C

Merlo, San Luis

Congreso; XXXV Reunión ciéntifica anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo.; 2017

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth. (PS) is a native plant from Mendoza ? Argentina used for ethnopharmacological purposes. Recently, our group described its cytotoxicity on human tumoral cell lines, discarded its acute and subchronic toxic effects in healthy animals, and demonstrated its antitumoral properties on mice induced colorectal carcinomas. Despite the mentioned evidence, systemic efficiency of PS to control remote tumors remains unstudied. Therefore, the goal of the present work is to evidence the bioavailability of the plant active constituents and confirm its capability to act as antitumor agents. By the use of the leaves aqueous extract, activity of PS on B16F0 murine melanoma cell line was assayed in vitro to confirm its actions on mitochondrial metabolism, proliferation and cell viability. Then, homograft subcutaneous melanoma tumors were induced by cell inoculation in a control and treated group (n=5, each); PS was administrated at doses of 150mg/animal/day, PO. Assay endpoint was determined when the tumor volume reaches 1cm3. Thereafter, animals were sacrificed by decapitation; melanomas were dissected, weighted and histologically processed. Speed of tumor growth was significantly reduced when PS was a treatment (Student´s T test, p=0.04). Microscopically, treated tumors showed changes in vascularization, presence of hemorrhagic and necrosis focus and cellular features compatible with cytostasis and apoptosis. If well, further studies need to elucidate chemical characteristics of bioavailable compounds and its cellular mechanisms of action; in accordance to the presented data, it is possible to support the PS aqueous extract as a natural compound valuable in the oncology field of research.