PUBLICATION

Screening of anti-cancer agent using zebrafish: Comparison with the MTT assay

Authors
Li, Y., Huang, W., Huang, S., Du, J., and Huang, C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-120510-2
Date
2012
Source
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications   422(1): 85-90 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Du, Jiu Lin
Keywords
zebrafish, MTT assay, anti-cancer drug, apoptosis, p53
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents/isolation & purification*
  • Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis/drug effects
  • Biphenyl Compounds/pharmacology
  • Camptothecin/pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Coloring Agents/chemistry
  • Dimethyl Sulfoxide/pharmacology
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Emodin/pharmacology
  • Gene Expression/drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lignans/pharmacology
  • Naphthoquinones/pharmacology
  • Rotenone/pharmacology
  • Tetrazolium Salts/chemistry
  • Thiazoles/chemistry
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
22560901 Full text @ Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.
CTD
22560901
Abstract

The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay is a classical method for screening cytotoxic anti-cancer agents. Candidate drugs from the MTT assay need in vivo models to test their efficiency and to assess the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity of the drugs. An in vivo screening model could increase the rate of development of anti-cancer drugs. Here, we used zebrafish to screen a library of 502 natural compounds and compared the results with those from an MTT assay of the MCF7 breast cancer cell line. We identified 59 toxic compounds in the zebrafish screen, 21 of which were also identified by the MTT assay, and 28 of which were already known for their anti-cancer and apoptosis-inducing effects. These compounds induced apoptosis and activated the p53 pathway in zebrafish within 3 h treatment. Our results indicate that zebrafish is a simple, reliable and highly efficient in vivo tool for cancer drug screening, and could complement the MTT assay.

Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping