Exploring apoptosis-inducing effects of Sutent on human glioblastoma cells
Exploring apoptosis-inducing effects of Sutent on human glioblastoma cells
Mohamad Vosough Ghanbari,1Seyedeh Negin Moosavi Nezhad,2Fatemeh Behnam Rassouli,3,*
1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciense, Mashhad, Iran 2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran 3. Novel Diagnostics and Therapeutic Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Introduction: Sutent, a small molecule with the chemical formula C22H27FN4O2, functions as an inhibitor of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases. This drug has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the anticancer potential of Sutent against various solid tumors; however, no report has been published on toxic effects of this agent in glioblastoma cells. The present study aimed to investigate anticancer potential of Sutent on human glioblastoma cells for the first time.
Methods: U87 cells were treated with 12.5, 25 and 50 µM Sutent for 24, 48 and 72 h. At the end of each time point, cell viability was determined by alamarBlue test. Subsequently, the cells were treated with 50 µM Sutent, stained with propidium iodide and FITC-annexin V, and analyzed using flow cytometry to evaluate the mechanism of cell death.
Results: Findings of viability assay indicated that Sutent induced significant (p<0.001) toxic effect on glioblastoma cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Viability of U87 cells was calculated as 50.5%, 30% and 25.5% upon 24, 48 and 72 h treatment with 50 µM Sutent, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed results of alamarBlue test, as 45.3% of cells treated with Sutent were detected in the early and late stages of apoptosis.
Conclusion: The current study emphasizes the significant toxic effects of Sutent on U87 cells, suggesting its potential as a novel therapeutic option for glioblastoma.