Effects of bioactive plants extracts on glioma cells, preliminary results

AVILA M; ZOPPINO FC; CUELLO CARRION FD; ALVAREZ OLMEDO D; CIOCCA DR; CASTRO GN; CAYADO-GUTIERREZ N; GUERRERO GIMENEZ ME

Montevideo

Congreso; Second Latin America Conference of Cell Stress Society International; 2016

Cell Stress Society International

Gliomas are very difficult to treat because at the time of diagnosis the cancer cells usually have invaded the surrounding brain and because they are very resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, there is a need to find new therapeutic approaches, with this aim we have initiated a search for natural compounds occurring in plants from the semi desert area of Mendoza, Argentina with properties to affect both the growth of glioma cells and the expression levels of HSP27 (a cell death-resistance implicated protein). Ten aqueous extracts were obtained from different autochthonous plants and tested on Gli-36 cells. The cells were exposed to different dilutions of the extracts for 24 and 48 hs, cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and the cells were examined at cytological level to evaluate proliferation, cell death, microtubes formation and HSP27 expression levels by ICC (immunocytochemistry). ICC was also used to evaluate HSP70 and MSH2 proteins. Two plant extracts showed significant effects on Gli36 cells affecting cell survival and the expression levels of HSP27 and HSP70. The cell viability was decreased with extracts #5 and #9, with #5 the cells showed recovery after extract exposure and increased microtubes formation while with extract #9 the cells did not show recovery and microtubes were practically absent. With both extracts apoptosis was significantly increased, more effect was obtained with extract #9. The results are encouraging to continue the chemical characterization of these phytochemical extracts