Abstract

VAZQUEZ-SANCHEZ, Jorge; PEREZ-JUAREZ, Angélica  and  BARRIENTOS-ALVARADO, Cornelio. Protection of Spirulina maxima on cytotoxicity of hydroxyurea in mouse embryonic cells. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2018, vol.52, n.2, pp.241-250. ISSN 0325-2957.

Spirulina maxima (SP) has protective pharmacological effects that are related to the antioxidant activity due to its phycobiliprotein content. Hydroxyurea (HU) is an antineoplastic, cytotoxic and teratogenic drug, which involves the induction of oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to determine whether SP and its aqueous protein extract (SPE) protect against the cytotoxic effect of HU in primary cell cultures from mouse embryos. The effects of SP, SPE, and HU on cell viability were determined by resazurin fluorescence assay in whole embryo cell cultures, encephalon, and eleven-day-old forehead bud outbreaks. It was shown that neither SP nor its extract caused cytotoxic effects at any concentration tested, increasing cell viability. It was found that cells exposed to HU of whole embryos and encephalon showed higher toxicity than cells of the previous limbs. SP and SPE protected HU cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner up to 48 hours after exposure to the drug. This effect could be adequate to prevent cell death resulting in a teratogenic process attributed to its antioxidant properties.

Keywords : Spirulina maxima; Hydroxyurea; Cytotoxic and teratogenic effect; Mouse.

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