Investigation of Ehrlich ascites tumor cell death mechanisms induced by Synadenium umbellatum Pax

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Synadenium umbellatum Pax. is widely found in South America and empirically used in Brazil for the treatment of several diseases, mainly cancer. The aim of the study was to investigate cell death mechanisms induced by Synadenium umbellatum Pax. using Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells, as well as the myelotoxicity potential of this plant.

Materials and methods: S. umbellatum cytotoxicity was evaluated in EAT cells by trypan blue exclusion and MTT reduction test and the mechanisms involved in EAT cell death were investigated by light and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Investigation of S. umbellatum myelotoxicity was performed by clonogenic assay of colony forming unit- granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM).

Results and conclusion: Our results demonstrated that S. umbellatum decreased the viability of EAT cells using both methods. Morphological analyses revealed that S. umbellatum-treatment induced EAT cell death by apoptotic pathway. We demonstrated the occurrence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) overgeneration, increased intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, alteration in mitochondrial membrane potential, phosphatydylserine externalization, and activation of caspases 3, 8, and 9. However, S. umbellatum produced myelotoxicity in bone marrow cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In comparison to EAT cells, the effects of S. umbellatum in bone marrow cells were 8-fold lower. Taken together, our results showed that S. umbellatum induced apoptosis in EAT cells at several levels and seems more toxic to tumor cells than to normal bone marrow cells.