Scientific Presentations

Cytotoxic Effect of Lipophilic Substitution at 2-, 6-, and 2,6-Positions in Ascorbic Acid and Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Hep G2 Cells, Melanoma Cells, and Normal Human Dermal Fibroblast

Roomi MW, Netke SP, Ivanov V, Niedzwiecki A, Rath M.

Presented at: 
American College of Nutrition, 42nd Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, Oct. 3-7, 2001.

Published in: 
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 22 (5):575, Abstract #43, October 2001.

Comment

Ascorbic acid and its derivatives have been shown to be cytotoxic and inhibit the growth of a number of malignant and non-malignant cell lines in culture and in animal models. In this study, ascorbic acid, which is water-soluble, was not toxic to the melanoma and liver cancer lines tested; however, the lipophilic (lipid soluble) derivatives studied were found to be markedly toxic to these cell lines. This implies that these lipid-soluble derivatives, which can cross cell membranes and the blood brain barrier, have therapeutic potential in the treatment of cancer.