Potent trophic activity of spermidine supramolecular complexes in in vitro models

Figure 1 Effect of spermidine and spermidine-supramolecular complexes on cell growth. Fibroblast cultures were exposed to spermidine salts (A) or spermidine-supramolecular complexes (B-F) for 24 (dark bars) and 48 h (light bars) and cell viability was evaluated by thiazolyl blue assay. A: Cells were treated with pure spermidine 3HCl (spermidine); B: Supramolecular complexes formed by spermidine with α-cyclodextrin (spermidine-aCD); C: Polymeric hyaluronan (spermidine-hyaluronate, HA); D: The natural biopolymer alginate (Spermidine-sodium alginate, Alg); E: Synthetic maleate copolymer (gantrez, Gz); F: Depolimerized HA salt (oligomeric hyaluronate, OHA). These data (mean ± SE, n = 3) are expressed as percentage (%) increase over cells treated with physiological saline (panels A and B) or the supramolecular complex alone without spermidine (panels C-F).

Figure 2 Net proliferative effect of spermidine-supramolecularcomplexes. Data expressed as value of the increment in percentage (%) fibroblasts increase carried out by the spermidine-supramolecular complexes subtracted from the values of spermidine alone at equivalent concentrations and the value of the supramolecular complex-forming polymers at 0.1% concentration. HA: Hyaluronate; Alg: Sodium alginate; Gz: Gantrez; OHA: Oligomeric hyaluronate; aCD: α-cyclodextrin.

Figure 3 Evaluation of Ki-67 antigen expression in reconstituted human vaginal epithelium. Ki-67 immunoreactivity was evaluated in reconstituted human vaginal epithelium exposed for 24 h to saline (A) or to spermidine-hyaluronate 50 (B). A typical result out of three independent experiments is shown (× 20 magnification).

Figure 4 Histopathological examination and transepithelial electric resistance assessment of reconstituted human vaginal epithelium. A: Cell integrity was evaluated by transepithelial electrical resistance determination (Ω/cm²). Mean values of separate 3 mean ± SE; B: Reconstituted human vaginal epithelia were examined histologically after exposure to spermidine-hyaluronate 50 (upper panel) or saline (lower panel). A typical result out of three independent experiments is shown (× 20 magnification).