In vitro therapeutic effectiveness of tarantula cubensis alcholic extract in prostate cancer cells

OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Tarantula cubensis alcoholic extract (TCAE), which is used as a homeopathic medicine, in prostate cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: DU-145 and LNCaP cells were used as prostate cancer cell lines, and HUVEC cells were used as control cell lines. The effect of TCAE on cell viability was evaluated by WST-1 analysis, and its apoptotic effect was evaluated by Annexin V analysis. In addition, the effect of TCAE on apoptotic cell morphology was demonstrated by Acridine Orange staining. In all analyzes; 25, 50, 100 and 250 µM doses of TCAE were applied to the cells, cells without TCAE were considered as negative control group and the experiments were repeated at three times. In the WST-1 assay, cells were incubated with TCAE for 24 and 48 hours for all doses. For Annexin V analysis and Acridine Orange staining, 48 hours incubation of TCAE was selected the effective exposure time according to WST-1 analysis. RESULTS: TCAE decreased the viability rates in DU-145 and LNCaP cells in a time-dependent manner (p<0.01). The lowest viability rates for DU-145 and LNCaP cells were determined as 62.76%±4.21% and 55.68±1.84% at 250 and 25 μM doses, respectively, after 48 hours of incubation. Moreover, TCAE have not shown any cytotoxic effect on HUVEC cells. Apoptotic cell rates were found as 30.45±0.78% and 45.02±1.32% in DU-145 and LNCaP cells with 250 and 25 μM TCAE incubation, respectively. Morphologically, impaired cell/cytoplasm ratio, chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing, and vacuolar damage were observed in DU-145 and LNCaP cells. CONCLUSION: TCAE has cytotoxic apoptotic effects, which LNCaP cells more sensitive than DU-145 cells, on both prostate cancer cell lines. This is the first study in the literature and therefore, further molecular studies are needed to determine the potential of TCAE as a chemotherapeutic agent for prostate cancer. Keywords: Apoptosis, DU-145, LNCaP, prostate cancer, Tarantula cubensis alcoholic extract