Synergistic cytotoxicity induced by α-solanine and α-chaconine

α-Solanine and α-chaconine are well-known potato toxins, but the mechanism of the synergistic cytotoxic effect of these alkaloids has been little clarified. This study confirmed their synergistic cytotoxic effects on C6 rat glioma cells by three different cell viability tests, namely WST-1 (water-soluble tetrazolium) assay sensitive to intracellular NADH concentration, menadione-catalysed chemiluminescent assay depending on both NAD(P)H concentration and NAD(P)H:quinone reductase activity, and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) assay sensitive to the release of LDH from damaged cells. The maximum cytotoxic effect was observed at a ratio of 1:1 between α-solanine and α-chaconine at micromolar concentrations. The cytotoxic effects of these alkaloids were observed immediately after incubation and were constant after 30 min, suggesting that rapid damage of plasma membrane causes the lethal disorder of metabolism.