Effects of Agelas oroides and Petrosia ficiformis crude extracts on human neuroblastoma cell survival

Among marine sessile organisms, sponges (Porifera)
are the major producers of bioactive secondary metabolites that
defend them against predators and competitors and are used to
interfere with the pathogenesis of many human diseases. Some
of these biological active metabolites are able to influence cell
survival and death, modifying the activity of several enzymes
involved in these cellular processes. These natural compounds
show a potential anticancer activity but the mechanism of
this action is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated
the effects of two Mediterranean sponges, Agelas oroides and
Petrosia ficiformis on the viability of human neuroblastoma
cells. Upon treatment with the methanolic extract of Petrosia
ficiformis, a marked cytotoxic effect was observed at any
concentration or time of exposure. In contrast, a time- and
dose-dependent effect was monitored for Agelas oroides that
induced the development of apoptotic features and ROS
production in LAN5 cells. These events were suppressed by
calpeptin or zVAD and by vitamin C suggesting that the cell
death caused by Agelas oroides was calpain- and caspasedependent
and of oxidative nature. Comet assay showed that
this methanolic extract was not able to produce a genotoxic
effect. Future studies will be applied to investigate the effect
of isolated bioactive compounds from crude extract of this
sponge which are potentially useful for cancer therapeutics.