digoxin effectively inhibited cell growth and induced senescence in cervical cancer cell line

Background: digoxin, which is used in heart failure patients, contributes to inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. therefore, digoxin could have a therapeutic potential in helping determine which individuals may suffer from cancer. this study was conducted to determine whether digoxin declines hela cells proliferation and viability or induces senescence. methods: hela cell line was cultured with different concentrations of digoxin in rpmi-1640 medium for 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. cell proliferation and viability were assessed with mtt and trypan blue, respectively. to detect cell morphology and senescence, hematoxilin and gimsa staining were used. one way anova was used for data analysis using spss version 20 software. results: cell proliferation and viability decreased in all concentrations of digoxinin compared to controls. colony formation was inhibited significantly after digoxin treatment (p < 0.05). presence of giant cells in the treated groups indicated senescence induction, and dense nucleus was presented as cell death conclusions: our findings clearly revealed that dixogin inhibited hela cell growth, but it was not time and dose dependent. the apoptosis and senescence, which were detected in the present study, were based on non-advance methods. therefore, for reliable results, it is necessary to prove the anticancer properties of digoxin through advanced methods. although the antitumoral effects of digoxin are still being investigated, more studies should be conducted to clarify the related mechanism in cellular, biochemical, and molecular aspects.