Ambica Baru, Nilambra Dogra and Tapas Mukhopadhyay
Background: Methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate [Fenbendazole, FZ] is an anthelmintic drug which acts by selectively binding to β tubulin of nematodes, inhibiting the tubulin polymerization and blocking microtubule dependent glucose uptake. The anti-proliferative effect of Fenbendazole is partly due to its ability to affect microtubule dynamics and arrest cells at a pro-metaphase state with an intact mitotic spindle.
Findings: Here, we show that Fenbendazole - a benzimidazole anthelmintic drug, can be used as an alternative to colchicine for making high quality chromosome preparations for karyotyping and further cytogenetic analysis. This drug could efficiently block the proliferation of human tumor cell lines as well as peripheral blood lymphocytes in culture by arresting them at G2M phase. FZ treatment at 1uM concentration for 3 h resulted in high mitotic indices resulting in a number of well spread metaphasic plates in suspension as well as adherent cultures. The morphology of metaphase chromosomes obtained from FZ treated samples was at par with those prepared from colchicine.
Conclusion: Altogether, our results show FZ as an extremely efficient, relatively non-toxic and inexpensive G2/M blocker which may be utilized as a suitable alternative of colchicine for routine cytogenetic analysis.