THE POTENTIAL OF THE CRUDE SNAKE VENOM IN TREATMENT OF HUMAN BREAST CANCER WITH AND WITHOUT COMBINATION OF ANTICANCER DRUGS

Abstract

Background: Clinical usefulness of the snake venom has been worked out since the last many decades to treat blood pressure, cancer of breast, ovary and etc. we wanted to evaluate the effect of natural compounds of cobra snake venom in vitro on nucleic acid in normal and breast cancer tissues in combination with and without anticancer drugs. Methods: Surgically removed tissue from cancerous and non cancerous of same human breast were homogenized and extraction of nucleic acids were prepared. All homogenate samples were incubated with and without snake venom and antineoplastic drugs (Cyclophosophamide and Mitomycin-C) for 30 min at 37 ⁰C and measured at 490 mm for DNA and at 660 mm for RNA by spectrophotometer (Sspectron-21^®). Results: The effect of the snake venom was compared singly as well as in combination with the two chemotherapeutic agents viz mitomycin-C (an antibiotic) and Cyclophosophamide (an alkylating agent) on the nucleic acids (RNA and DNA). In human breast cancer tissue shows significant reduction in nucleic acids contains when treated with venom (25 mg/ml) in combination and compared with singly use anticancer drugs. Cyclophosophamide and Mitomycin produced some effect in human breast tissue at 10 mg/ml on the DNA only for short time and eventually destroyed. However snake venom does have potential and is more effective with or without anticancer drugs on both nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) suggests wide range of receptors to act. Both drugs could not produce inhibition or potentiating effect on normal and cancerous tissues in vitro by all different doses. Conclusion: Anticancer drugs (Cyclophosophamide and Mitomycin-C), specific medicines for solid tumour (Ca. Breast) used in this study showed no significant reduction at the same dose of snake venom (25 mg/ml) in vitro in comparison to snake venom. However drugs at 10 mg/ml has shown some effect on the DNA but only for short time and possibly, eventually are destroyed. However significant and promising anticancer effect of snake venom seems to have a better future as an alternative. None toxic dose of snake venom affects on both DNA and RNA.