Acetic acid induces cell death: an in vitro study using normal rat gastric mucosal cell line and rat and human gastric cancer and mesothelioma cell lines

Our plain-English summary of Acetic acid induces cell death: an in vitro study using normal rat gastric mucosal cell line and rat and human gastric cancer and mesothelioma cell lines, by S. Okabe, T. Okamoto, C.M. Zhao, et al (Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2014).

The study

• Authors: S. Okabe, T. Okamoto, C.M. Zhao, D. Chen, H. Matsui
• Journal: Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Published: 2014;29 Suppl 4:65-9
• Cited by: 15 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Background And Aim: We recently reported that topical application of acetic acid promptly caused tumor necrosis in a mouse model of gastric cancer. The aim of the present study was to examine whether acetic acid can directly induce cancer cell death.

Methods: Rat gastric epithelial cell line (RGM-1), rat gastric carcinoma cell line (RGK-1), human gastric cancer cell line (KATO III), and human mesothelioma cell lines (ACC-MESO1 and MSTO-211H) were used. Acetic acid was added into the cell culture at different concentrations for different time periods. Cell death was analyzed by MTT assay, flow cytometry, and trypan blue exclusion test.

Results: Acetic acid promptly induced the cell death of RGM-1, RGK-1 cells, and KATO III cells in a concentration-dependent manner from 0.01% to 0.5%. Acetic acid at 0.5% for 1 min induced the cell death by 80%. RGK-1 cells were more sensitive to acetic acid than RGM-l cells. KATO III cells were more sensitive to acetic acid than RGK-1 cells. Acetic acid at 0.5% for 10 min induced almost complete cell death of ACC-MESO1 and MSTO-211H.

Conclusions: Acetic acid is a powerful anticancer agent. Topical application of acetic acid may be a feasible approach for the treatments of gastric cancer and possibly other malignancies.

© 2014 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

In plain English

This laboratory study, by researchers in Japan and Norway, tested whether acetic acid kills cells grown in dishes. It did not study asbestos exposure or people. The authors used five cell lines: normal rat stomach cells (RGM-1), rat stomach cancer cells (RGK-1), human stomach cancer cells (KATO III), and two human mesothelioma lines (ACC-MESO1 and MSTO-211H). Cells were briefly exposed to acetic acid, hydrochloric acid or ethanol, washed, and checked for survival 24 hours later. In KATO III cells treated for 10 minutes, 0.01% acetic acid had no effect, while 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% reduced survival by 58.3%, 79.2% and 89.5%. No KATO III cells survived 10 minutes at 0.4% or 0.5%. One minute at 0.5% caused 82.9% cell death in KATO III cells. The rat cancer cells were more sensitive than the normal rat cells. In both mesothelioma lines, 0.5% acetic acid for 10 minutes caused almost complete cell death, shown in a figure without exact percentages. The authors suggested acetic acid might be a feasible treatment approach, including local injection for mesothelioma. They said how it kills cells remains unclear.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory (in vitro) experiment on cultured cell lines
• Who was studied: Five cell lines: normal rat gastric epithelial cells (RGM-1), rat gastric carcinoma cells (RGK-1), human gastric cancer cells (KATO III), and human mesothelioma cell lines ACC-MESO1 and MSTO-211H. No people or animals were studied.
• Exposure: Acetic acid at concentrations from 0.01% to 0.5% for 1 to 30 minutes, compared with hydrochloric acid and ethanol. This is not an asbestos exposure; asbestos is not studied.
• Main results:
  • In KATO III human gastric cancer cells treated for 10 minutes, 0.01% acetic acid had no effect; 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% reduced cell survival by 58.3%, 79.2% and 89.5%, respectively.
  • After 10 minutes of treatment, no KATO III cells survived 0.4% or 0.5% acetic acid.
  • In KATO III cells, 0.5% acetic acid for 1 minute caused 82.9% cell death, and for 5 minutes 98.1%.
  • At 0.5%, 0.3% or 0.1% acetic acid for 10 minutes, survival was lower in RGK-1 rat cancer cells than in RGM-1 normal rat cells.
  • At 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5% acetic acid, cell death was higher in KATO III human cancer cells than in RGK-1 rat cancer cells.
  • In KATO III cells, ethanol at 5% for 10 minutes had no effect, while 0.5% acetic acid for 10 minutes caused 100% cell death.
  • In the ACC-MESO1 and MSTO-211H mesothelioma cell lines, 0.5% acetic acid for 10 minutes caused almost complete cell death. The result was shown in a figure, and the text gives no exact percentages.
  • Hydrochloric acid at 0.3% or 0.1% for 10 minutes left 80 to 85% of RGK-1 or RGM-1 cells surviving; at 0.5%, survival was 56% in RGK-1 cells and 52% in RGM-1 cells.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors suggested that acetic acid, alone or with chemotherapy, may be a feasible approach for treating gastric cancer, peritoneal cancer and mesothelioma (via local injection).
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that how acetic acid causes cell death remains unclear and needs further study.
  • The authors stated it is unknown why cancer cells, especially human cancer cells, were more sensitive than the normal cells.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma, Stomach cancer.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Stomach Cancer, Mesothelioma, Necrosis, Carcinoma.

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