Fluoride Containing Compounds Elicits a Differential Cytotoxic Response on Human Breast Cells

Student Classification

Sophomore

Faculty Mentor

Checo Rorie, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Chemistry

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 2019

Disciplines

Chemistry

Abstract

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is a commonly used preventive agent in many dental products, used to aid in the prevention and decrease of dental caries. Sodium fluoride (NaF) along with sodium hexafluorosilicate (F6Na2Si) and fluorosilicic (H2F6Si) acid solution are added to public drinking water to increase the accessibility of fluoridation to the public to help reduce the incidence of dental caries. However, previous observations and studies have revealed that the overconsumption of fluoride may lead to fluorosis in teeth and bones, and that high concentrations of these fluoride containing compounds show detrimental effects to cellular health. Previous studies showed that elevated levels of NaF caused toxic effects on C. Elegans and some human cell lines. Here we wanted to investigate the cytotoxic effects of fluoride compounds on the human breast cancer cell lines HCC70, HCC1806, and HCC1500. We revealed that all of the fluoride containing compounds elicited both a dose and time course cytotoxic response on the human breast cancer cell lines. We then exposed the breast cell lines to 10uM of all three fluoride containing compounds, NaF, F6Na2Si, and H2F6Si, for 24 hours and revealed a differential cytotoxic effect on the cells and between the different compounds. Light microscopy revealed that NaF had the greatest physical toxic effects on the cell lines, while the other fluoride containing compounds had very little physical effects. Interestingly, cell viability trypan blue exclusion assays revealed that H2F6Si had the greatest cytotoxic effect on the breast cell lines resulting in over 90% death. These studies reveal that while fluoride at low concentrations may help to prevent dental caries, at high concentrations fluoride containing compounds may also cause cytotoxic effects on human breast cells and may provide implications that these compounds could potentially be used as treatment options for breast cancer.

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