RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Anisomycin, a potential anticancer therapeutic drug, exerts an antitumor effect on melanoma cells at a lower concentration than that required for other cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sensitivity to and cytotoxicity of anisomycin, as well as the effects of anisomycin on glucose metabolism and relative mRNA expression of senescence- and cancer-associated genes, were studied using B16 mouse melanoma cells. RESULTS: The viability of anisomycin-treated cells decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, and the growth of cell spheroids was suppressed by 50 nM anisomycin. Glucose metabolism was reduced by anisomycin treatment, and the mRNA expression of genes responsible for growth inhibition, such as p21, p53 and Txnip was upregulated. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that anisomycin may be a promising future anticancer drug that is effective at low concentrations against melanoma by reducing glucose metabolism, causing cell senescence-like phenomena.
