V. Steenkamp et al., The effect of Senecio latifolius a plant used as a South African traditional medicine, on a human hepatoma cell line, J ETHNOPHAR, 78(1), 2001, pp. 51-58
A number of traditional remedies used in South Africa contain pyrrolizidine
alkaloids, some of which are hepatotoxic. We investigated the effect on hu
man HuH-7 cells of Senecio latifolius DC., a plant that is a component of s
ome traditional remedies and which is known to contain toxic pyrrolizidine
alkaloids. Cells were also treated with extracts of a standard pyrrolizidin
e, retrorsine. The changes in the gross morphology of the cells were studie
d using light microscopy after haematoxylin and eosin staining. The cytoske
leton was investigated using fluorescence-labelled anti-p-tubulin antibody
and the nuclear organisation was studied using fluorescence-labelled antinu
clear antibodies. The plant extracts gave rise to dose-dependent gross morp
hological changes. At high doses, we observed necrosis and at lower doses,
destruction of the cytoskeleton, nuclear fragmentation and apoptosis. Doses
of less than the equivalent of 330 ng/ml retrorsine led to multinucleated
cells with failure in spindle formation and clumping of nuclear chromatin.
This latter finding suggests that chronic low-dose treatment with such trad
itional remedies could give rise to teratogenic and/or carcinogenic effects
. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.