L-Carnosine Prevents the Pro-cancerogenic Activity of Senescent Peritoneal Mesothelium Towards Ovarian Cancer Cells

Background/Aim: L-Carnosine inhibits senescence of somatic cells and displays anticancer activity. Here we analyzed if L-carnosine (20 mM) retards senescence of human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) and inhibits progression of ovarian cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Experiments were performed with primary HPMCs established from patients undergoing abdominal surgery and with three ovarian cancer cell lines: A2780, OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3. Results: L-Carnosine retards senescence of HPMCs plausibly via inhibition of mitochondria-related oxidative stress. Prolonged exposure of HPMCs to L-carnosine prevented senescent HPMC-dependent exacerbation of cancer cell adhesion, migration, invasion and proliferation, which may be linked with decreased secretion of various pro-cancerogenic agents by HPMCs. Cancer cells exposed directly to L-carnosine displayed reduced viability, increased frequency of apoptosis and unaltered proliferation. Conclusion: L-carnosine may be a valuable anticancer drug, especially in the context of prevention and therapy of intraperitoneal ovarian cancer metastasis.