ABSTRACT

Folic acid and folate are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folic acid is used as a supplement by women during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Folic acid supplementation is reported with the suppression of tumor development in literature. Here, the effect of folic acid was analyzed for cell proliferation and viability on neuroblastoma cells. The gene expression differences of folic acid receptors and JAK/STAT pathway were analyzed.

FA solutions were prepared on 1μM, 5μM, 10μM concentrations and applied on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. XTT cell proliferation assay and cell viability assay were used for finding cell proliferation and viability. The gene expression differences was analyzed on FOLR1, JAK1, STAT3, PIAS1, PTPN1 and SOCS-1 genes on neuroblastoma cells by using real time polymerase chain reaction.

In XTT assay, LD50 dosage was found as 22μM FA concentration on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Cell viability was found as 93% in control, 96% in 1-5μM, 97% in 10μM folic acid application (p<0.005). FOLR1, STAT3 and SOCS-1 gene expressions were found higher than control (p<0.005). JAK1, PIAS1 and PTPN1 gene expressions were found as similar to control (p≥0.05)

Folic acid in different concentrations increased the neuroblastoma tumor cell viability. Our results supported similar findings on the same cell type in literature. Increased FOLR1 gene expression results can be interpreted that FA causes an increasing in folate receptors. High STAT3 and SOCS-1 gene expressions observed in our experiment may be the result of folic acids’ effect on JAK/STAT pathway in neuroblastoma cells.

Keywords: Folic acid, neuroblastoma, cell proliferation, cell viability, JAK/STAT pathway.