Famuyiwa, Toluleke

Background: Prostate Cancer, in the absence of skin cancer, is the most prevalent type of cancer found
in the male population. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) can promote cancer cell proliferation when
they are at elevated levels. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant capable of inhibiting the formation
of ROS. Genistein, an isoflavone found in plants, also possesses the ability to inhibit ROS formation.
Objective To determine the potential therapeutic synergy between genistein and vitamin C and
investigate mechanism of action of genistein and/or vitamin C. Methods: Trypan blue assay was carried
out to know the % of viable cells. Varying concentrations of genistein with a constant concentration of
Vitamin C was used to treat LNCaP cells. After treatment of the cells with genistein and Vitamin C, MTT
assay of the cancer cells was performed and absorbance read through an ELISA reader. This gives the
values needed for interpreting cell viability after treatment. A statistical analysis performed to determine
whether the obtained results are statistically significant. Results: The results obtained from our
experiments are inconclusive with regards to the impact of Vitamin C on apoptotic cancer cell death
following genistein treatment. However the combination of genistein and vitamin C was more efficient in
tumor suppression than when the drugs were given separately. Conclusion: This study suggests that
treatment of prostate cancer using genistein can be enhanced by adjuvant treatment with vitamin C.
This study is of potential clinical success in reducing the cell death by necrosis.

Purpose: This study was designed to define the antibiotic resistance index of the
cultivable oral microbiome to Amoxiacilin Clavulanic acid, Vancomycin, Ciprofloxacin,
Clarithomycin, Chlorotetracyclin, Bacitracin, Kanamycin and Tobramycin using a new method
adapted from the Kirby Bauer assay.
Method: Oral wash samples were collected from 2 current smokers and 2 nonsmokers. Bacterial
community were pelleted by centrifugation and used to create a lawn for the assay employing
standard disk diffusion assay. Zones of inhibition and number of colonies in the zone were
recorded. Mean values of inhibition zones were compared to established databases to draw
conclusions.
Result: The zones of inhibition of Bacitracin antibiotics shows that several bacteria from one of
the non smokers were resistant to Bacitracin, while the smokers showed marked susceptibility.
Conclusion: The new method developed in our lab yielded consistent set of data which serve as
criteria for determining resistance of the oral microbiome to antibiotics. Quite remarkably, it is
known that pathogenic beta Streptococci are susceptible to Bacitracin while non-pathogens are
not; confirming that healthy persons harbor the healthy strains of streptococci. However the
unanswered question is …. Could these normal biota pick up genes and become resistant too?
Only time and human habits will decide but we have developed a baseline and an easy method
for testing.

This study determined the impact of vitamin C dose on genistein-induced apoptosis in LNCaP cancer cells at various treatment regimens in vitro. Although the linear regression of viability assay (MTT) indicated a p-value = 0.11; NBT assay reveal a declining SOD activity during cell death. Apoptosis induction was the main mode of treatment induced cell death. The overall data showed the trend of treatment efficacy as;(Gen 10uM + Vit C 40uM) > (Gen 30uM + Vit C 40uM) > (Gen 70uM + Vit C 40uM) > 10uM genistein > 70uM genistein. The chi-square test for comparing necrosis, apoptosis and life cells showed that Vitamin C could impact genistein-induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells (p = 0.0003). This study forms the basis for in vivo studies of the impact of vitamin C on genistein-induced apoptosis in LNCaP prostate cancer cells.