Potassium bicarbonate and D-ribose effects on A72 canine and HTB-126 human cancer cell line proliferation in vitro

• Main Authors: Bussolati Simona, Bruni Luca, Croci Simonetta, Castaldo Marianna, Dondi Maurizio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2011-08-01
• Series: Cancer Cell International
• Subjects: A72 canine cancer cell line; HTB-126 human cancer cell line; potassium bicarbonate; D-ribose; MTT assay; cancer; cell proliferation
• Online Access: http://www.cancerci.com/content/11/1/30
• ISSN: 1475-2867

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The synergic action of KHCO₃and D-ribose is tested on A72 and HTB-126 cell lines proliferation using K:D-Rib solution. Altered Na⁺/K⁺ATPase expression and activity were shown in patients with cancer. Studies in human epithelial-derived malignancies indicate that K⁺depletion also occurs, contributing to the increased intracellular Na⁺/K⁺ratio <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B1">1</abbr></abbrgrp>. D-ribose transformed to piruvate, enters into the Krebs's cycle and has a key role on energetic metabolism. The up-regulation of glycolysis in tumor cells is already well known and it is the rationale of F¹⁸-FDG PET diagnostic technique. D-ribose is synthesized by the non-oxidative transketolase PPP reaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results with different K:D-Rib concentrations show that MTT salt interferes with K:D-Rib solution and therefore this method is not reliable. The UV/VIS measurements show that K:D-Rib solutions reduce MTT salt to formazan in absence of cells. Cell proliferation has then been evaluated analysing the digital photos of the Giemsa stained cells with MCID™ software. At 5 mM K:D-Rib concentration, the cell growth arrests between 48 h and 72 h; in fact the cell number after 48 h is around the same with respect to the control after 72 h. In case of HTB-126 human cancer cells, the growth rate was valuated counting the splitting times during 48 days: control cells were split sixteen times while 5 mM treated cells eleven times. Most relevant, the clonogenic assay shows that nine colonies are formed in the control cells while only one is formed in the 5 mM and none in 10 mM treated cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The K:D-Rib solution has an antioxidant behaviour also at low concentrations. Incubation with 5 mM K:D-Rib solution on A72 cells shows a cytostatic effect at 5 mM, but it needs more than 24 h of incubation time to evidence this effect on cell proliferation. At the same concentration on human HTB-126 cells, K:D-Rib solution shows a clear replication slowing but the cytostatic effect at 10 mM K:D-Rib solution only. Results on A72 cells indicate the K⁺uptake could be determinant either to arrest or to slow down cell growth.</p>