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Urinary bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Human transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cells are epithelial-like adherent cells originally established from a primary bladder carcinoma. Studies have shown that TCC cells are resistant to some chemotherapeutic agents such as vincristine (VCR). In the present study, the effect of feselol, a sesquiterpene coumarin isolated from the fruits of Ferula badrakema, was investigated on VCR effectiveness. Our results demonstrated that feselol itself did not have any cytotoxic effect on TCC cells. In order to check its combinatorial effects, TCC cells were exposed to various combined concentrations of feselol and VCR. Then, morphological changes were monitored and cytotoxicity was analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay for three consequent days. Results showed that the combination of 40 microg/ml VCR with 16 microg/ml feselol increased the cytotoxicity of VCR by 28.32% after 48 h. This effect might be due to inhibition of P-glycoprotein in TCC cells by feselol.

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with the highest incidence in industrialized countries. There are three major histological subtypes of bladder cancer: transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) (> 90%), squamous cell carcinoma (< 10%) and adenocarcinoma (1-2%). The present study was carried out to assess the effects of conferone, a sesquiterpene coumarin isolated from Ferula badrakema, on a TCC subline, 5637 cells. In order to test the effects of conferone, 5637 cells were treated with different concentrations (16, 32, 64, 128 microg/ml) of conferone. The results indicated that conferone did not have any significant cytotoxic effect on these neoplastic cells. To determine the combining effects, the cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of conferone (16, 32, 64, 128 microg/ ml) and vincristine (30, 40, 50 microg/ml) in combination. The morphological changes were then observed and cytotoxicity effects were studied using the MTT assay 24, 48 and 72 h following drug administration. The cells were more rounded and granulated after treatments with both drugs in comparison to vincristine only. The results of the MTT assay confirmed the morphological observations. After 48 h of combined treatment with 40 microg/ml vincristine and 16 microg/ml conferone, the cytotoxicity of vincristine was increased by 23.6%.

Bladder cancer is the second common cancer of the genitourinary system throughout the world and intravesical chemotherapy is usually used to reduce tumour recurrence and progression. Human transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is an epithelial-like adherent cell line originally established from primary bladder carcinoma. Here we report the effect of mogoltacin, a sesquiterpene coumarin from Ferula badrakema on TCC cells. Mogoltacin was isolated from the fruits of F. badrakema, using silica gel column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. Mogoltacin did not have any significant cytotoxicity effect on neoplastic TCC cells at 16, 32, 64, 128, 200 and 600 microg ml(-1) concentrations. In order to analyse its combination effect, TCC cells were cultured in the presence of various combining concentrations of mogoltacin and vincristine. Cells were then observed for morphological changes (by light microscopy) and cytotoxicity using MTT assay. The effect of mogoltacin on vincristine toxicity was studied after 24, 48 and 72 h of drug administration. The results of MTT assay showed that mogoltacin can significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of vincristine and confirmed the morphological observations. Results revealed that combination of 40 microg ml(-1) vincristine with 16 microg ml(-1) mogoltacin increased the cytotoxicity of vincristine after 48 h by 32.8%.