Influence of a cholesterol-rich emulsion and BCNU on the apoptotic indices of myeloma cells induced in BALB/C mice
Braz. j. morphol. sci
;
23(1): 121-129, jan.-mar. 2006. ilus
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-467597
ABSTRACT
Proliferating malignant cells express low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, and a cholesterol-rich microemulsion (LDE) resembling the lipid portion of LDL can be bound to lipophilic drugs such as 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) to increase the drug´s capture and decrease the drug-associated toxicity. In this work, we studied the effect of BCNU and BCNU+LDE on apoptosis in plasmacytoma-related cells obtained from BALB/c mice with myeloma. Four groups of mice (n=4 each) were treated with LDE, BCNU, BCNU in LDE or vehicle solution (control group). Morphological methods (histology and transmission electron microscopy) and immunohistochemistry (TUNEL procedure) were used to evaluate the occurrence of apoptosis. The drugs were injected intraperitoneally in the 14th month after induction of the myeloma and the mice in all groups were sacrificed six hours after this injection. The apoptotic indices of the plasmacytoma mesenteric cells evaluated in the four experimental groups revealed that the LDE emulsion significantly (p<0.05) increased the percentage of tumoral cells dying by apoptosis. All the groups with LDE, alone or in combination with BCNU showed significantly higher apoptotic indices than the controls. This enhanced cytotoxicity suggests a potential use for LDE in improving the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Carmustine
/
Apoptosis
/
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
/
Cholesterol, LDL
/
Anticholesteremic Agents
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Braz. j. morphol. sci
Journal subject:
Anatomy
Year:
2006
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Medical School of The University of São Paulo/BR
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