Effects Of Crocins On The Content Of Nucleic Acid Of Human Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line Measured By Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

Background Cancer chemoprevention is very important in prevention and therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) at present. There are more or less some drawbacks in existing chemoprevention drugs, such as uncertain effects and some side effects. Preliminary in vitro studies of our group suggested that crocins could inhibit the viability of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells. This subject was to investigate the effects of crocins on the content of DNA and RNA in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line (Tca8113) measured by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and fluorescent probe of acridine orange (AO). As yet, no research about the effects of crocins on DNA and RNA of OSCC has been reported.Objectiveâ‘ To investigate the effects of crocins on the viability of Tca8113 cells.â‘¡To detect the effects of crocins on the content of DNA and RNA in Tca8113 cells.Methodsâ‘ The morphological changes induced by crocins of Tca8113 cells stained with Giemsa were observed by light microscope. And-MTT (methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium) assay was used to determine the inhibitory effects of crocins on the viability of Tca8113 cells.â‘¡The effects of crocins on the content of DNA and RNA stained with AO in Tca8113 cells were detected by CLSM.Resultsâ‘ Crocins could inhibit the viability of Tca8113 cells in a doseand time-dependent manner.â‘¡Crocins could decrease the content of DNA and RNA in Tca8113 cells. The decrease of the content of DNA was more than that of RNA.Conclusions Crocins could inhibit the viability of human, tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line (Tca8113) in vitro accompanied by the down-regulation of the content of DNA and RNA. For the first time, CLSM was used to explore the mechanism of that inhibitory effect. The subject provided the feasibility for the application of crocins in chemoprevention of OSCC.