The cytotoxic effect of progesterone on viability and Nitric oxide gene expression in fibroblastoma cells (L929)

Fibroblastoma is a common skin malignancy and a common cause of morbidity worldwide. Studies have shown that sex steroid hormones including progesterone have cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. According to this, the present study aims to determine the effects of progesterone cytotoxic concentration on iNOs expression in fibroblastoma (L929) cells.

Cell viability was measured using MTT assay in cells exposed to 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/ml of progesterone, and IC50 dose was determined. NO concentration levels were also measured using the Griess test. The expression level of iNOS was measured by real-time RT-PCR. Data were analyzed using SPSS by one-way ANOVA.

Viability significantly decreased in fibroblastoma cells exposed to 1 and 10 mg/ml of progesterone (P<0.001). The relative expression level of iNOS significantly increased in cells exposed to IC50 dose of progesterone (P<0.001). The relative concentration of NO significantly increased in fibroblastoma cells exposed to 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/ml of progesterone (P<0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.05, respectively).

Progesterone has cytotoxic effects on fibroblastoma cancer cells due partly to the effects of the hormone on iNOS expression level and increased NO that probably induces apoptosis in fibroblastoma cancer cells.