Investigation of immunological effects of escitalopram oxalate in breast cancer co-culture model

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the world with a rate of 25.1%. Significant depressions can be seen in 1/4 of the patients after diagnosis. During breast cancer treatment, approximately half of the patients are given psychotropic drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Escitalopram oxalate is an SSRI used as an antidepressant. As a result of research, it has been revealed that this substance has side effects alleviating effects in hot flashes due to breast cancer and menopause. In this thesis; MTS and MTT tests were used to determine the concentration range of cytotoxic effects of escitalopram oxalate in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and THP-1 cell lines. Afterward, the IC50 value of escitalopram oxalate on MCF-7 was determined as 13.7 µM and 10.9 µM in MDA-MB-231 cells using the Xcelligence Real-time cell analysis system. Apoptotic effects of escitalopram oxalate were evaluated in a flow cell meter by the Annexin V-PI method. A breast cancer coculture model was established by incubating MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines and LPS stimulated THP-1 cell line together. The immunological effects of escitalopram oxalate using LPS stimulation in the created breast cancer coculture model, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and the level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured and analyzed by flow cytometry, and it was observed that it inhibited values varying between 1.07-3.75 times. Escitalopram oxalate showed an anti-inflammatory effect as well as a cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell lines.