Investigating the anticancer potential of boric acid against human gastric adenocarcinoma cells

Öz

Gastric cancer is a major contributor to cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the search for effective, targeted, and biocompatible therapeutic agents remains ongoing. Boric acid, a biologically active and low toxicity boron compound, has recently gained attention for its potential anticancer properties. This study aimed to investigate cytotoxic and proapoptotic effects of boric acid on human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS) in vitro. The cell viability was assessed using a cytotoxicity assay following 24 h boric acid treatment, the IC50 value for AGS cells can be confidently stated as <78.12 μM, while HEK293T nonmalignant cells showed minimal sensitivity, indicating selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. To further evaluate the mechanism of cell death, Annexin V-FITC and 7-AAD staining was performed via fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Microscopy analysis revealed a substantial rise in Annexin V-FITC and 7-AAD-positive cells in the treated group compared to controls (p<0,0001). Flow cytometry corroborated these results, showing 7.7% early apoptosis and 16.3% late apoptosis in boric acid-treated cells, versus minimal apoptotic activity in controls, with statistically significant increases in early and late apoptotic populations (p<0,01 and p<0,001, respectively). These results suggest that boric acid induces programmed cell death in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells, highlighting its promise as a potential therapeutic option in gastric cancer therapy. The data presented here provides preliminary evidence for the anticancer potential of boric acid and supports ongoing investigations into the therapeutic potential of boron compounds.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Apoptosis
• Boric acid
• Cytotoxicity
• Gastric cancer

Borik asidin antikanser potansiyelinin insan gastrik adenokarsinom hücrelerinde araştırılması

Öz

Mide kanseri, dünya genelinde kanserle ilişkili ölümlerin başlıca nedenlerinden biri olup, etkili, hedeflli ve biyouyumlu tedavi edici ajanlara yönelik araştırmaları devam etmektedir. Biyolojik olarak aktif ve düşük toksisiteye sahip bir bor bileşiği olan borik asit, son zamanlarda potansiyel antikanser özellikleri nedeniyle dikkat çekmektedir. Bu çalışma, borik asidin AGS insan mide adenokarsinom hücreleri üzerindeki sitotoksik ve pro-apoptotik etkilerini in vitro olarak araştırmayı amaçlamıştır. Borik asit ile farklı konsantrasyonlarda 24 saatlik muamele sonrası sitotoksisite testi ile hücre canlılığı değerlendirilmiştir. Hücre canlılığında doza bağımlı bir azalma gözlemlenmiştir. Hücre ölüm mekanizmasının daha ayrıntılı incelenmesi amacıyla Annexin V-FITC ve 7-AAD boyamaları floresan mikroskobu ve akım sitometrisi ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Floresan görüntülemede muamele edilen grup Annexin V ve 7-AAD pozitif hücrelerde anlamlı bir artış göstermiştir ve bu durum apoptoza işaret etmektedir. Akım sitometrisi analizi de bu bulguları doğrulamış, borik asit uygulaması sonrası canlı hücrelerden erken ve geç apoptotik hücre popülasyonlarına belirgin bir geçiş olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu sonuçlar, borik asidin AGS mide adenokarsinom hücrelerinde programlanmış hücre ölümünü indüklediğini göstermekte olup, mide kanseri tedavisinde potansiyel bir terapötik ajan olabileceğini düşündürmektedir. Bu çalışma, borik asidin antikanser potansiyeline dair öncü bulgular sunmakta ve bor bileşiklerinin terapötik etkilerine yönelik yürütülen araştırmaları desteklemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Apoptoz
• Borik asit
• Mide kanseri
• Sitotoksisite

Kaynakça

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