Anti-invasive activity of 3,7-dimethoxyflavone in vitro

• Published in: Journal of pharmaceutical sciences Vol. 83; no. 9; p. 1217
• Main Authors: Parmar, V S, Jain, R, Sharma, S K, Vardhan, A, Jha, A, Taneja, P, Singh, S, Vyncke, B M, Bracke, M E, Mareel, M M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.1994
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Breast Neoplasms; Chick Embryo; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Heart - embryology; Humans; Neoplasm Invasiveness - pathology; Organ Culture Techniques; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0022-3549
• DOI: 10.1002/jps.2600830906

Invasion of MCF-7/6 human mammary carcinoma cells into embryonic chick heart fragments was studied in organ culture during 8 days. The effect of 31 polyphenolic compounds, belonging to the flavonoids, chalcones, or coumarins, was tested in this assay for invasion. The anti-invasive activity of 3,7-dimethoxyflavone was found at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 microM. At these anti-invasive concentrations, no cytotoxic effects could be detected: the anti-invasive effect was reversible upon omission of the molecule from the medium, and treatment of MCF-7/6 cells or heart fragments did not affect subsequent outgrowth from explants on tissue culture plastic. The molecule did not inhibit growth of MCF-7/6 cell aggregates nor of heart fragments kept in suspension culture. The action mechanism of 3,7-dimethoxyflavone is the subject of our ongoing research.