Berberine is an alkaloid present in plant extracts and has a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Because of its ability to arrest the cell cycle and cause apoptosis of several malignant cell lines, it has received attention as a potential anticancer therapeutic agent. To investigate pathways where berberine could play anticancer role, we started to analyze intracellular localization pattern of this alkaloid in different human cell lines: MIA-PaCa-2 from pancreatic carcinoma, U343 from glioblastoma multiform. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) were used as non-tumor control. Berberine presents natural green fluorescence, which allows identification of the intracellular site of accumulation in living cells. Cells incubated in berberine at different micro-molar concentrations for different times show an intracellular distribution specifically related to dose and time of treatment in the analyzed cell lines. At lower doses and times, the alkaloid is mainly detected in cytoplasmic perinuclear structures; at higher doses and times, it localizes in nuclei. Berberine dose-dependent cell death was observed. Further experiments using specific intracellular markers are in progress.
Dynamic intracellular localization of natural alkaloids in different human tumor cell lines: a case study with berberine
MARRACCI, SILVIA;BATISTONI, RENATA;DERI, PAOLO;
2014-01-01
Abstract
Berberine is an alkaloid present in plant extracts and has a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Because of its ability to arrest the cell cycle and cause apoptosis of several malignant cell lines, it has received attention as a potential anticancer therapeutic agent. To investigate pathways where berberine could play anticancer role, we started to analyze intracellular localization pattern of this alkaloid in different human cell lines: MIA-PaCa-2 from pancreatic carcinoma, U343 from glioblastoma multiform. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) were used as non-tumor control. Berberine presents natural green fluorescence, which allows identification of the intracellular site of accumulation in living cells. Cells incubated in berberine at different micro-molar concentrations for different times show an intracellular distribution specifically related to dose and time of treatment in the analyzed cell lines. At lower doses and times, the alkaloid is mainly detected in cytoplasmic perinuclear structures; at higher doses and times, it localizes in nuclei. Berberine dose-dependent cell death was observed. Further experiments using specific intracellular markers are in progress.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
