Cytotoxic Effect of Arsenic Trioxide in Adenocarcinoma Colorectal Cancer (HT-29) Cells.

Arsenic is a heavy metal that exhibits a high degree of toxicity to various organ systems. In humans, this compound is associated with an increase risk of skin cancer, and may cause cancers of the lung, liver, bladder, kidney, and colon. The mechanism of arsenic-related carcinogenicity remains to be elucidated. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) on adenocarcinoma colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells using the MTT [3-(4,5 dimethylthiazoyl-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay for cell viability. To achieve this objective, HT-29 cells were cultured and exposed to various doses (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 μg/ml) of arsenic trioxide for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h respectively, and subsequently assessed for viability following a standard MTT test protocol. Experimental data indicated that arsenic trioxide is cytotoxic to colon cancer cells showing LD(50) values of 9.8, 9.4 and 9.0 μg/ml upon 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure, respectively. There was a dose-dependent response with regard to As(2)O(3) toxicity in HT-29 cells. Although there was a reduction in LD(50) value with increasing exposure time, this decrease was not statistically significant.