Examining the Effects of Indole-3-Carbinol on Molecularly Different Osteosarcoma Cell Lines

Beisheim, Julie

Examining the Effects of Indole-3-Carbinol on Molecularly Different Osteosarcoma Cell Lines

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/42869

Author(s)

Beisheim, Julie

Date Issued

April 4, 2017

Abstract

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a phytochemical found in plants of the Brassica genus, which has been documented to stabilize a number of cancer sustaining pathways, including the G1/S cell cycle transition. It was hypothesized that I3C decreases cancer proliferation at this checkpoint through the upregulation of tumor suppressor protein p21, and the subsequent inhibition of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb). To find a better understanding of the molecular consequences that mutations have on the efficacy of chemical treatments, this study observed how I3C functioned in canine osteosarcoma cell lines OSCA 32 and OSCA 40. These cell lines are distinguished by their relative activity of Rb, the key regulator in the G1/S checkpoint. It was hypothesized that I3C would have little effect on the proliferation of OSCA 40 due to the abnormally low levels of Rb expression. The I3C lowered the cell proliferation in both OSCA 40 and OSCA 32, as measured using a cell proliferation assay. Reverse transcription and quantitative PCR was used and it was determined that there was no change in Rb or p21 mRNA levels in either cell line. This suggests I3C functions in other capacities to decrease cell proliferation in both cell lines.

Major

Biochemistry

First Reader(s)

Kleinschmidt, Ann