QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prakash, P. Articles by Gerber, L. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Prakash, P. Articles by Gerber, L. E.

---

Research Communication

ß-Carotene Alters the Morphology of NCI-H69 Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells¹

Pankaj Prakash^*2, Thomas G. Manfredi, Cynthia L. Jackson^** and Leonard E. Gerber^*

Departments of ^* Food Science and Nutrition and Exercise Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 and the ^** Department of Pathology, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, Providence, RI 02903

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pprakash__mail{at}yahoo.com

The effect of ß-carotene on the morphology of NCI-H69 small cell lung cancer cells that had undergone ß-carotene-induced growth reduction (P < 0.05) was examined. The cells were grown at 1 x 10⁸ cells/L and were cultured with or without 20 µmol/L ß-carotene. The qualitative electron microscopic observations revealed that ß-carotene-treated cells contained more vacuoles than control cells not treated with ß-carotene. The quantitative image analysis showed a significantly smaller (P < 0.05) value of the nuclear roundness factor for treated cells compared with control cells, indicating an irregular nuclear morphology of ß-carotene-treated cells. The major diameter of the cells and the minor diameter of the nuclei were significantly smaller (P < 0.05), and the nuclear perimeter was significantly larger (P < 0.05) in ß-carotene-treated cells. The ratio of nucleus to cytoplasm was significantly less (P < 0.05) in ß-carotene-treated cells compared with control cells, indicating a less malignant growth of the cells. These results demonstrate that the treatment of small cell lung cancer cells with ß-carotene induces morphological changes in the cells concomitant with a reduction in their proliferation. Further investigation is required to show a direct effect of ß-carotene or its intracellular polar metabolites on the morphology of these cells.

KEY WORDS: • ß-carotene • NCI-H69 • lung cancer cells • electron microscopy • image analysis