Flow Cytometric Analysis of the Influence of Myosmine on the Cell Cycle

Myosmine (3-(1-pyrrolin-2-yl)pyridine) is an alkaloid found in tobacco as well as various staple foods, fruits and vegetables. Myosmine has recently been suspected to be a tobacco-independent carcinogenic source. Using cell flow cytometry, we have examined the influence of myosmine on the cell cycle of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells in vitro and have compared this with its effects on murine bone marrow cells in vivo. Myosmine at low concentrations inhibited cell proliferation dose dependently; while at concentrations close to 300 μmol dm−3 it acted in a cytostatic fashion, that is, it increased the percentage of cells in the S and G2/M phases. At doses of 350–400 μmol dm−3 myosmine induced apoptosis and the hypoploid fraction. In vivo intraperitoneal injection of mice with 100 mg/kg of myosmine resulted in a statistically significant increase in the percentage of cells in S phase; i.e. from 13.75 to 18.22 %. The percentage of bone marrow cells in the G2/M phase increased from 6.79 to 8.93 % in treated mice compared to controls. All of these results are in agreement with the hypothesis that myosmine possesses genotoxic potential. (doi: 10.5562/cca1767