Impacto da erucina no citoesqueleto de células renais

Abstract

On a global scale, cancer is the second leading cause of death, with an average of 7
million deaths annually. By 2030, it is estimated that the number of deaths will double,
highlighting the need to innovate in the development of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic
strategies. One of these strategies may involve adapting dietary habits, and consequently,
choosing to include certain foods in the diet.
It is increasingly clear that many dietary agents, such as isothiocyanates from
cruciferous vegetables, can slow down or prevent the process of carcinogenesis. Erucin is a
dietary isothiocyanate that has recently been considered a promising phytochemical for cancer
chemoprevention. Several studies conducted in vitro support the ability of certain dietary
compounds to affect cellular processes involved in oncogenesis, and in tumor promotion and
progression.
Renal carcinoma accounts for over 80% of kidney cancer cases, with approximately
30% of patients developing metastases after surgery. Therefore, due to the relevance of this
topic, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the isothiocyanate erucin
on the cytoskeleton, particularly on microtubules and actin microfilaments in renal cancer cells,
as this cellular structure is closely related to the cell invasion process that is essential for
metastasis formation.
Two types of cells were used, VERO-E6 and 786-O. VERO cells belong to a lineage
of green monkey kidney cells, and 786-O cells are human renal carcinoma cells.
Immunofluorescence image analysis of cells treated with erucin revealed that it can induce a
loss of tubulin structures (microtubules and microtubule organizing center) but does not affect
actin-based structures. The in vitro tubulin polymerization assay showed that with increasing
concentrations of erucin, there was a decrease in tubulin polymerization. Therefore, it can be
concluded that erucin directly acts to inhibit actin polymerization. For this reason, this molecule
presents a therapeutic potential that should be further explored.
Keywords: Erucin, Renas cells, Kidney cancer, Nephrotoxicity

Date of Award	2024
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	Nuno Saraiva (Supervisor)