CYTOTOXICITY EFFECTS OF AMBLYOMIN-X IN CULTURED CANCER CELLS

VENTURA J.S.; DE-SÁ-JÚNIOR, P.L.; BATISTA, I.F.C; RAMOS, O.H.P.; AND CHUDZINSKI-TAVASSI AM.

Biochemistry and Biophysics Laboratory, Butantan Institute, Avenue Vital Brazil, 1500, Butantã, 05503-900 São Paulo/SP, Brazil.

One of the most efficient means to control the coagulation is the action of proteinase inhibitors, and several studies have demonstrated that saliva of haematophagous have substances whose interfere in the the blood clotting of their host. Aiming the blood clotting system a recombinant protein which inhibits activated Factor X (FXa) was cloned and expressed. This protein named Amblyomin-X exerts great clinical interest because it could be used as an anticoagulant substance able to inhibit the FXa and don’t have any influence in the cell adhesion. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of Amblyomin-X on tumor cells, comparing its effect on the normal cells (Human Umbilical Vein Cells - HUVECs). To the experiments confluent cultured cells (HUVECs, B16F10, SK mel-28 and MiaPaca) were treated with different concentrations of Amblyomin-X, the cytological alterations were analyzed by inverse microscopy, and the cell viability analyzed by the MTT method. The obtained data showed that the treatment of the tumor cell lines with the Amblyomin-X induces the cytotoxicity in a dose dependent manner, however it does not affected the normal cells (HUVECs). Due to this result we can suggest that Amblyomin-X can modulate death of tumor cells but not cause alterations in normal cells.

SUPPORTED BY FAPESP and FINEP/COINFAR

CORRESPONDENCE TO:  jsventura@butantan.gov.br