The Role of Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Mechanism of Cytotoxic Action of Gold and Silver Polyacrylates on Tumor Cells

Abstract

The possible role of the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species in the cytotoxic effect of gold (aurumacryl) and silver (argacryl) polyacrylates on tumor cells (an MCF7 cell culture) was studied. For this purpose, the effect of the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine, known as a free radical scavenger, on the cytotoxic effect of drugs and on the value of the specific reactive oxygen species marker was investigated. Argacryl was found to have higher cytotoxic activity than aurumacryl, with an IC50 coefficient of 55 and 300 μg/mL, respectively, at 24 h exposure. It has been shown that the generation of reactive oxygen species is one of the key mechanisms in realizing the cytotoxic effect of aurumacryl, while the cytotoxic effect of argacryl is not associated with the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species in tumor cells under the influence of the drug. These results indicate that gold and silver polyacrylates, as active cytotoxic agents, have significant differences in the mechanism of action due to the nature of the metals contained in the preparations, which is in good agreement with the data we obtained earlier.