Alpha-bisabolol Promotes Glioma Cell Death by Modulating the Adenosinergic System

Anticancer Res. 2017 Apr;37(4):1819-1823. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.11516.

Abstract

Background/aim: Glioblastoma multiforme is the most malignant type of glioma. Alpha-bisabolol is an essential oil reported as a potent cell death agent. In the present work, we evaluated the effect of alpha-bisabolol on ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73, the most well-characterized enzymatic source of adenosine, present in lipid rafts.

Materials and methods: Glioma cells were treated with alpha-bisabolol and, in some experiments, pre-treated with an A3 antagonist. MTT assay (viability), malachite green method (ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73 activity) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) (A3 mRNA) were carried out.

Results: Alpha-bisabolol led to a decrease in C6 and U138-MG glioma cells viability, accompanied by an increase in ecto-5'-NT/CD73 activity. Pre-treatment with an A3 antagonist reverted the effect of α-bisabolol with an increase of mRNA expression of this receptor.

Conclusion: Our data indicated the participation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73 and A3 receptor in the anti-proliferative effect of α-bisabolol on glioma cells.

Keywords: Glioma; adenosine; ecto-5’-NT/CD73; α-bisabolol.

MeSH terms

  • 5'-Nucleotidase / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects*
  • Glioma / drug therapy
  • Glioma / metabolism
  • Glioma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Rats
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptor, Adenosine A3 / chemistry*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptor, Adenosine A3
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • bisabolol
  • 5'-Nucleotidase