Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Effects of Odontobuthus doriae Crude Venom on the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Ghazal  Tashakori; Nasser  Mohammadpour-Dounighi; Amir Ahmad  Akhavan; Hamid Reza  Basseri; Khosro  Abdi; Farzaneh Tofighi-Zavareh; Sahar  Khorasani; Mahboobe  Fatemi; Akbar  Biglarian; Ali Akbar  Saboor-Yaraghi; Javad  Rafinejad

doi:10.18502/jad.v20i1.21968

Ghazal Tashakori Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Nasser Mohammadpour-Dounighi Department of Human Vaccine and Serum, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
Amir Ahmad Akhavan Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hamid Reza Basseri Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Khosro Abdi Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Farzaneh Tofighi-Zavareh Laboratory expert in the Central Research Laboratory and Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sahar Khorasani Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahboobe Fatemi Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Akbar Biglarian Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ali Akbar Saboor-Yaraghi Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Javad Rafinejad Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jad.v20i1.21968

Keywords: Odontobuthus doriae; Scorpion venom; Breast cancer; MCF-7 cell line; Cytotoxicity

Abstract

Background: Scorpion venom is a complex mixture containing toxic peptides, free amino acids, enzymes, nucleotides, lipids, amines, mucoproteins and other bioactive components. It has been reported to exhibit a range of medicinal properties, including anticancer, antithrombotic, anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, analgesic, antitumor and antiepileptic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer effects of crude venom from Odontobuthus doriae on the Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCf-7) breast cancer cell line.

Methods: 2×10⁴ MCF-7 cancer cells were cultured in T25 flasks containing Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. After overnight incubation, the culture medium was replaced with different concentrations of crude venom (0.2, 0.48, 0.97, 1.95, 3.9, 7.81, 15.62, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500 μg/mL). The cytotoxic effects were assessed using the MTT reduction assay at 24, 48 and 72 hours post-treatment, performed in triplicate. Absorbance was measured at 570 nm using an ELISA reader.

Results: A concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed. A statistically significant difference in cytotoxicity was observed between the 24 hour and the 48/72-hour treatments, while no significant difference was noted between the 48 and 72 hour time points. The IC₅₀ values were calculated to be 4.775 µg/mL (24 h), 31.87 µg/mL (48 h), and 3.543 µg/mL (72 h).

Conclusion: The crude venom of O. doriae exhibits significant cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, suggesting its potential as a natural anticancer agent.