Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona.
Eur J Histochem. 2020 Apr 2;64(2):3119. doi: 10.4081/ejh.2020.3119.
Exposure to low ozone concentrations is used in medicine as an adjuvant/complementary treatment for a variety of diseases. The therapeutic potential of low ozone concentrations relies on their capability to increase the nuclear translocation of the Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), thus inducing the transcription of Antioxidant Response Elements (ARE)-driven genes and, through a cascade of events, a general cytoprotective response. However, based on the controversial role of Nrf2 in cancer initiation, progression and resistance to therapies, possible negative effects of ozone therapy may be hypothesised in oncological patients. With the aim to elucidate the possible changes in morphology, migration capability and proliferation of cancer cells following mild ozone exposure, we performed wound healing experiments in vitro on HeLa cells treated with low ozone concentrations currently used in the clinical practice. By combining a multimodal microscopy approach (light and fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy) with morphometric analyses, we demonstrated that, under our experimental conditions, exposure to low ozone concentrations does not alter cytomorphology, motility and proliferation features, thus supporting the notion that ozone therapy should not positively affect tumour cell growth and metastasis.
低浓度臭氧暴露已被医学用作多种疾病的辅助/补充治疗手段。低浓度臭氧的治疗潜力依赖于其增加核因子红细胞 2 相关因子 2（Nrf2）核易位的能力，从而诱导抗氧化反应元件（ARE）驱动基因的转录，并通过级联反应引发广泛的细胞保护反应。然而，鉴于 Nrf2 在癌症起始、进展和治疗耐药中的争议性作用，臭氧治疗可能在肿瘤患者中产生负面效应。为了阐明轻度臭氧暴露后癌细胞形态、迁移能力和增殖的可能变化，我们在体外对 HeLa 细胞进行了伤口愈合实验，所用低臭氧浓度目前已在临床实践中使用。通过结合多模式显微镜方法（明场和荧光显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、原子力显微镜）和形态计量分析，我们证明在我们的实验条件下，低浓度臭氧暴露不会改变细胞形态、运动和增殖特征，因此支持臭氧治疗不应积极影响肿瘤细胞生长和转移的观点。
