Evaluation of the Effects of Melatonin-treated RAW Macrophage Cells in the A-375 Melanoma Cell Line

Abstract

Background: Melanoma is one of the most complex and invasive cancers in the world, accounting for the most deaths among skin cancers. This study investigated the effects of melatonin (MLT)-treated RAW264.7 cell lines on A-375 human melanoma cell lines. Methods: RAW264.7 and A-375 cells were cultured and passaged separately and then treated with 0 μM, 50 μM, 75 μM, 100 μM, 150 μM, and 200 μM concentrations of MLT. In addition, the survival rate of these cells was checked by trypan blue staining. A-375 cells were exposed to RAW264.7 cells treated with MLT for 24 hours, and their viability was evaluated with trypan blue. Results: After the colonization of RAW264.7 cells and treatment with different concentrations of MLT for 24 hours, it was observed that the growth and differentiation of RAW264.7 cells decreased at concentrations of 150 μM and 200 μM. In the case of A-375 cells, after 24 hours of treatment with different concentrations of MLT, the growth of malignant cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. When MLT-treated RAW264.7 cells were placed in the vicinity of A-375 cells for 24 hours, the density of RAW264.7 cells was low at concentrations of 150 and 200 μM MLT, and the growth of A-375 cells was inhibited accordingly. The same results were obtained when cell viability was measured by MTT. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that MLT, at concentrations of 150 μM and 200 μM, inhibited the growth of A-375 cells by inhibiting the growth and reducing the differentiation of RAW macrophages. Therefore, this substance can be used in the mentioned concentrations to treat melanoma. It is also possible to examine the effect of MLT on melanoma cell line in different periods.