Investigation of effects on the molecular levels of imatinib mesylate and tannic acid treatment on breast cancer cells

One of the most effective methods in cancer treatments is chemotherapeutic treatment. Although Imatinib Mesylate, which is mostly used in the treatment of leukemia, is not clinically used in the treatment of breast cancer, its effects on this cancer are still being investigated. Besides chemotherapeutics, antioxidants also have cancer-curing effects. The combined use of these two therapeutic agents suggests that the effects of treatment methods are increased. The effects of many chemotherapeutic drugs and antioxidant combinations on cell cytotoxicity, migration, gene expression levels and apoptotic levels are still unknown. In this study, the effects of a chemotherapeutic Imatinib Mesylate (IM) and an antioxidant Tannic Acid (TA) on cytotoxicity and migration when administered individually or together to MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were investigated for the first time. The effects of Imatinib Mesylate (IM), Tannic Acid (TA) and their combined application on dose and time dependent cell viability were determined by MTT test. As a result of this test, IC50 values for IM and TA were determined as 25 µM in MCF-7 cells, while IC50 values were determined as 20 µM for IM and 25 µM for TA in MDA-MB-231 cell line. It was observed that these agents were more effective at 48th hour in both cell lines. It was concluded that IM and TA do not have synergistic effects but have additive, independent or antagonistic effects in combined treatment. IC values were applied to both cell lines for migration and wound healing was observed at 0, 4, 8 and 12 hours. No wound healing was observed at individual or combined concentrations when compared to control cells without IM and/or TA. As a result of all these data, it shows that IM and TA applications without combination have more cytotoxic effects in both cell lines. It was concluded that individual application is more effective and different mechanisms should be investigated in order to determine the cytotoxic effect mechanisms.