Prostate cancer is the main cause of
cancer-related mortality in men around the world and an important health problem. DU-145 human
prostate cancer cells provide an opportunity to investigate
prostate cancer.
Betaine has a number of anticancer effects, such as inactivation of
carcinogens, inhibition of
cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and
metastasis. However, there is no study investigating the effects of
betaine on DU-145 cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of
betaine on the oxidative stress, apoptosis, and
inflammation on DU-145 cells. Firstly, we proved the cytotoxic activity of
betaine (0 to 150 mg/ml) on DU-145 cells by using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol, 2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium
bromide (MTT) and defined the optimal concentration of
betaine. Then, by employing the doses found in MTT, the levels of
antioxidant (GSH, SOD, CAT, and TAS) and
oxidant (MDA and TOS) molecules, pro-inflammatory
cytokines (TNF-a and IL-6), apoptotic
proteins (CYCS and
CASP3), and DNA fragmentation were measured. Morphological changes and apoptosis were evaluated using H&E technique, Bax and Bcl-2 immunohistochemistry. Results suggested that
betaine caused oxidative stress,
inflammation, inhibition of cell growth, apoptosis, and morphological alterations in DU-145 cells dose-dependently. Furthermore, treatments with increasing
betaine concentrations decreased the
antioxidant levels in cells. We actually revealed that
betaine, known as an
antioxidant, may prevent cell proliferation by acting as an
oxidant in certain doses. In conclusion,
betaine may act as a
biological response modifier in
prostate cancer treatment in a dose-dependent manner.