Published on Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Abstract
The advent of combination therapy unprecedentedly shifted the paradigm of cancer treatment by reconstructing the conventional protocols. By identifying the anti-tumoral activity for different natural products, recent interest has focused on inventing the combined- modality strategies to increase the cure rates of cancer, while reducing the toxic side effects of current intensive regimens.
To evaluate whether melatonin, indolic hormone produced mainly by the pineal gland, could enhance the pro-apoptotic effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in breast cancer, MCF-7 cells were treated with As2O3-plus- melatonin and then the survival, proliferative rate, caspase-3 activity, and mRNA expression level of anti- apoptosis target genes of NF-κB were investigated. Our results delineated that exposure of MCF-7 cells to As2O3 not only reduced the survival of the cells, but also induced a caspsase-3-dependent apoptotic cell death.
Noteworthy, an enhanced induction of apoptosis was found using As2O3 in combination with melatonin.
Moreover, RQ-PCR analysis revealed that the enhanced cytotoxic effect of As2O3 in the presence of melatonin is mediated, at least partly, through suppressing the expression of NF-κB anti-apoptotic target genes such as MCL-1, BCL-2, survivin, XIAP, and c-IAP1 in breast cancer cells.
The resulting data showed that As2O3, either alone or in combination with melatonin, exerted significant cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cells. However, further investigations are needed to provide valuable clues for expediting this combination as a therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.
About this publication.
See also:
- Official Web Site: The Di Bella Method;
- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Melatonin tablets. From 30-40mg/day up to 200mg/day orally in patients with advanced stage of cancer disease and/or patients without respond to traditional treatments);
- Melatonin with adenosine solubilized in water and stabilized with glycine for oncological treatment - technical preparation, effectivity and clinical findings;
- About Melatonin - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;
- Publication: Melatonin anticancer effects: Review (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication: Key aspects of melatonin physiology: 30 years of research (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Cyclophosphamide 50mg tablets and/or Hydroxyurea 500mg tablets, one or two per day);
- The Synergism of Somatostatin, Melatonin, Vitamins Prolactin and Estrogen Inhibitors Increased Survival, Objective Response and Performance Status In 297 Cases of Breast Cancer;
- Complete objective response, stable for 5 years, with the Di Bella Method, of multiple-metastatic carcinoma of the breast;
- Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the first-line treatment with somatostatin combined with melatonin, retinoids, vitamin D3, and low doses of cyclophosphamide in 20 cases of breast cancer: a preliminary report;
- The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 122 cases of breast cancer;
- Complete objective response to biological therapy of plurifocal breast carcinoma;
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Long-Lasting Remission with Combination of Cyclophosphamide, Somatostatin, Bromocriptine, Retinoids, Melatonin, and ACTH;
- Somatostatin, retinoids, melatonin, vitamin D, bromocriptine, and cyclophosphamide in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients with low performance status;
- Somatostatin, retinoids, melatonin, vitamin D, bromocriptine, and cyclophosphamide in chemotherapy-pretreated patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma and low performance status;
- Observations on the Report of a case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma with lymph node, hepatic and osseus metastasis;
- A case of advanced Multiple Myeloma treated with Di Bella Method (DBM) into total remission for 13 years;
- Cyclophosphamide plus Somatostatin, Bromocriptin, Retinoids, Melatonin and ACTH in the Treatment of Low-grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas at Advanced Stage: Results of a Phase II Trial;
- Relapse of High-Grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: A Case Successfully Treated With Cyclophosphamide Plus Somatostatin, Bromocriptine, Melatonin, Retinoids, and ACTH;
- Low-grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at Advanced Stage: A Case Successfully Treated With Cyclophosphamide Plus Somatostatin, Bromocriptine, Retinoids, and Melatonin;
- The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 55 cases of Lymphomas;
- Large B-cells Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage IV-AE: a Case Report;
- Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage III-B-E: a Case Report;
- Congenital fibrosarcoma in complete remission with Somatostatin, Retinoids, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Melatonin, Calcium, Chondroitin sulfate associated with low doses of Cyclophosphamide in a 14-year Follow Up.
