Synergistic antitumor activity of gramicidin/lipophilic bismuth nanoparticles (BisBAL NPs) on human cervical tumor cells

The objective of this study was to study the synergistic antitumor effect of lipophilic bismuth nanoparticles (BisBAL NPs) with the antibiotic solution Neo-Poly gramicidin on human cervical tumor cells. The effect of BisBAL NPs and Neo-Poly gramicidin solution on cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) was determined by the MTT cell viability assay and fluorescence microscopy. After a 24-h exposure to 0.1× Neo-Poly gramicidin HeLa cell growth decreased 94%. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed the antitumor effect cell death was higher among treated than among non-treated cells cells. Individually, gramicidin (0.04 mg/mL) inhibited HeLa tumor cell growth most (40%), and neomycin (0.04 mg/mL) least (21%). Gramicidin (0.3 mg/mL) in combination with different concentrations (1–150 μM) of BisBAL NPs had a synergistic antitumor effect against HeLa cells, reaching an < 86% tumor growth inhibition. As far as we know, we are the first to describe the antitumor activity of the antibiotic Neo-Poly gramicidin on a human cervical cancer cell line. The action mechanism of gramicidin/BisBAL NP is based on a strong damage on cell membrane and nucleus of tumor cells. A synergistic effect of gramicidin with BisBAL NPs may be useful as an alternative therapy for cervical cancer patients.