POSTER PRESENTATION Open Access Apoptotic gene expression in melanoma cells treated with kaurenic acid

Terpenoids have been described as pharmacologically active substances. Antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflamma-tory activities and cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines are some of the biological effects described for these com-pounds [1-4]. Kaurenic acid is a diterpene isolated from the aerial parts of Espeletia semiglobulata (Compositae) and its antitumor effect via apoptosis and necrosis against melanoma cells in animal models has been described [5]. The present study researches the molecular mechanism for this anti-melanoma effect on cells inoculated in mice. One hundred thousand cells of melanoma B16F1 were used for inoculation in fifteen male, 20 g weight C57BL/6 mice. There were three groups of five mice each: group A was treated for 21 days with saline solution (0.009%/day); group B was treated for 21 days with Taxol (14.5 mg/kg/ week); and group C was treated with kaurenic acid for 21 days (1 mg/kg/day). Two animals in group C died dur-ing the treatment. The expression of genes for protein