Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare the antitumor activity of lipophilic bismuth nanoparticles (BisBAL NPs) and chlorhexidine (CHX) on human squamous cell carcinoma. BisBAL NPs were synthesized by colloidal method and characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (EDS-SEM). The effect of BisBAL NPs and CHX on oral cancer cell line (CAL-27) and nontumor control cell human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) was determined by MTT cell viability assay. The obtained results showed selective inhibition of CAL-27 cell growth by BisBAL nanoclusters. A 24 h exposition to 25 μM BisBAL NP decreased 91% of CAL-27 cell growth, while nontumor HGFs cells were unaffected by BisBAL NPs showing 90% of cell viability. In contrast, CHX kills both CAL-27 and HGFs with the same efficacy. 25 μM of CHX decreased 97% and 80% of tumor and nontumoral cell growth. BisBAL NP and CHX alter cell permeability suggesting that action mechanism may include loss of cell membrane integrity. Also, CHX and not BisBAL NP presented genotoxicity on genomic DNA of tumor cells. As conclusion, BisBAL NPs have a selective antitumor activity on human squamous cell carcinoma, unlike CHX which was cytotoxic for both tumoral and nontumoral control cells.
Highlights
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are important public health challenges worldwide, being the 11th most common cancer detected with approximately 50-300, 000 new cases each year [1, 2]
With the objective of reducing the incidence of metastatic recurrence, chemotherapy is advisable after surgery in most types of cancer [26]
In spite of good intentions, alone or in combination with radiation, chemotherapy can cause strong cytotoxic effects on nontumor cells of healthy tissue leading to cancer patients leaving treatment
Summary
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are important public health challenges worldwide, being the 11th most common cancer detected with approximately 50-300, 000 new cases each year [1, 2]. It is expected that 10, 030 people die in 2018 due to these cancers only in the USA, but the number could be higher in less developed regions [2]. Different risk factors have been described like alcohol, smoking, human papillomavirus (HPV), dietary deficiencies, and fungal infections [3]. HNSCC are progressive chronic diseases in which healthy epithelium is modified into a carcinogenic tissue through one or more risk factors in each specific individual. Chemotherapy is an important treatment option for most cancers after surgery, it has several limitations, amongst which are a lack of target specificity, the development
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