Amiodarone’s major metabolite, desethylamiodarone inhibits proliferation of B16-F10 melanoma cells and limits lung metastasis formation in an in vivo experimental model

Previously, we demonstrated the in vitro anti-tumor effects of desethylamiodarone (DEA) in bladder and cervix cancer cell lines. In the present study, we intended to establish its potentiality in B16-F10 metastatic melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. We assessed cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle by using sulforhodamine B assay, Muse™ Annexin V & Dead Cell and Muse® Cell Cycle assays, respectively. We determined colony formation after crystal violet staining. For studying mechanistic aspects, immunoblotting analysis was performed. We used a C57BL/6 experimental lung metastasis model for demonstrating in vivo anti-metastatic potential of DEA. DEA inhibited in vitro proliferation and colony formation, and in vivo lung metastasizing properties of B16-F10 cells. It arrested the cells in G0/G1 phase of their cycle likely via p21 in a p53-dependent fashion, and induced caspase mediated apoptosis likely via inversely regulating Bcl-2 and Bax levels, and reducing Akt and ERK1/2 activation. In this study, we provided in vitro and in vivo experimental evidences for DEA’s potentiality in the therapy of metastatic melanomas. Since DEA is the major metabolite of amiodarone, a worldwide used antiarrhythmic drug, safety concerns could be resolved more easily for it than for a novel pharmacological agent.