Abstract
Introducción: El cáncer de próstata es una de las principales causas de mortalidad por cáncer en hombres. Debido al interés creciente por terapias complementarias, el medicamento homeopático Vidatox® 30CH, elaborado a partir del veneno del escorpión Rhopalurus junceus, ha sido objeto de estudio por sus posibles efectos biológicos. Objetivo: Evaluar la viabilidad celular in vitro de líneas celulares humanas de cáncer de próstata expuestas a diferentes concentraciones de Vidatox® 30CH. Material y métodos: El presente estudio experimental fue realizado en las líneas celulares humanas LNCaP y PC-3, las cuales fueron expuestas a Vidatox® 30CH en concentraciones de 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5% y 6.25%, además de un control (etanol 33%). La viabilidad celular se evaluó mediante los ensayos MTT y cristal violeta a las 24, 48 y 72 horas posteriores a la exposición. Los resultados se analizaron mediante ANOVA de una vía y prueba post hoc de Tukey. Resultados y Discusión: Las concentraciones de 100% y 50% mostraron una disminución de la viabilidad celular, particularmente en la línea PC-3. Las concentraciones de 12.5% y 6.25% presentaron porcentajes de viabilidad similares o incluso superiores al control. El análisis de varianza mostró diferencias significativas entre tratamientos (p = 0.01). La reducción de la viabilidad observada en células PC-3 a concentraciones elevadas coincide con reportes sobre efectos citotóxicos de compuestos derivados de venenos de escorpión; sin embargo, la ausencia de cambios relevantes en células LNCaP indica que este efecto no es uniforme entre las líneas celulares evaluadas. Conclusiones: Bajo las condiciones experimentales estudiadas, Vidatox® 30CH redujo la viabilidad celular de la línea PC-3 a concentraciones elevadas, mientras que en la línea LNCaP no produjo cambios relevantes. Estos hallazgos sugieren un posible efecto dependiente de la concentración y del tipo celular. Se requieren estudios adicionales para confirmar estos resultados y esclarecer los mecanismos biológicos involucrados.
Effects of Vidatox® 30CH on the in vitro viability of prostate cancer cell lines
Abstract
Introduction: Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. Due to the growing interest in complementary therapies, the homeopathic medicine Vidatox® 30CH, derived from the venom of the Rhopalurus junceus scorpion, has been studied for its potential biological effects. Objective: To evaluate the in vitro cell viability of human prostate cancer cell lines exposed to different concentrations of Vidatox® 30CH. Materials and methods: An experimental study was conducted using the human cell lines LNCaP and PC-3. The cells were exposed to Vidatox® 30CH at concentrations of 100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and 6.25%, in addition to a control. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT and crystal violet assays at 24, 48, 26 Vol. 2026-2 / Revista Médica de la Universidad Veracruzana and 72 hours post-exposure. The results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test. Results and Discussion: Concentrations of 100% and 50% showed a decrease in cell viability, particularly in the PC-3 cell line. Concentrations of 12.5% and 6.25% showed viability percentages similar to or higher than the control. Analysis of variance showed significant differences between treatments (p = 0.01). The reduction in viability observed in PC-3 cells at high concentrations is consistent with reports on the cytotoxic effects of compounds derived from scorpion venom; however, the absence of relevant changes in LNCaP cells indicates that this effect is not uniform among the cell lines evaluated. Conclusions: Under the experimental conditions studied, Vidatox® 30CH reduced cell viability in the PC-3 cell line at high concentrations, while in the LNCaP cell line it did not produce relevant changes. These findings suggest a possible concentration- and cell-type-dependent effect. Further studies are required to confirm these results and elucidate the biological mechanisms involved.
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