SeMoV, a heteropoly compound containing selenium, inhibits tumor growth.

Selenium compounds have strong anti-tumor effects and are well-tolerated. We examined the anti-tumor effects of (NH)HSeMoVO·2HO (SeMoV, a heteropoly compound containing selenium. SeMoV inhibited proliferation in K562 cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 78.72±2.82 mg/L after 48 h and 24.94±0.88 mg/L after 72 h. Typical apoptotic morphologies were also observed in K562 cells treated with SeMoV, as were increased intracellular levels of Ca, Mg, H, and reactive oxygen species, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, SeMoV treatment triggered cytochrome C release and inhibited IκBα degradation and NF-κB translocation. experiments revealed that 5 or 10 mg/kg SeMoV inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180 and hepatoma 22 xenograft tumors. These results indicate that SeMoV inhibits tumor growth both and and induces apoptosis in K562 cells, possibly by inhibiting the NF-κB/IκBα pathway.