Effects of Melatonin on Different Stages of Bladder Cancer Survival

Objective: This study investigated the impact of melatonin on bladder cancer cells, focusing on its influence on cell survival and apoptosis at various stages, and evaluated its potential as a therapeutic agent. Materials and Methods:The research involved the use of the bladder cancer cell lines RT-112 (grade 1, non-invasive) and HTB-9 (grade 2, invasive) cultured in RPMI-1640 medium.The XTT assay was used to assess cell viability after treating cells with different concentrations of melatonin for various durations.Apoptotic activity was examined via annexin V/PI staining, followed by flow cytometry to quantify cell death.To explore the apoptotic mechanisms involved, Caspase 3/7 activity was also measured.Statistical evaluations were performed using GraphPad Prism, and two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test were used to determine significance (p<0.05).Results: Melatonin demonstrated a marked reduction in cell viability for both RT-112 and HTB-9 bladder cancer cell lines, with IC50 values determined at 1.115 mM for RT-112 and 2.111 mM for HTB-9.After 24 h of melatonin treatment, the rates of apoptotic cells increased to 47.85% for RT-112 and 38% for HTB-9, both showing statistical significance compared with the control groups (p<0.0001).Additionally, cells treated with melatonin showed increased caspase 3/7 activity, indicating the strong induction of apoptosis.Specifically, caspase 3/7 activities were recorded at 46.4% for RT-112 and 38.9% for HTB-9, both significantly exceeding those of control cells (p<0.0001).These findings suggest that melatonin effectively inhibits bladder cancer cell proliferation by enhancing apoptosis. Conclusion:In summary, melatonin is a promising therapeutic agent for bladder cancer because it lowers cell viability and triggers apoptosis in cancer cell lines.The influence of caspase 3/7 activity underscores the importance of activating apoptotic pathways, opening new research possibilities for clinical applications.