Lapachol as an epithelial tumor inhibitor agent in Drosophila melanogaster heterozygote for tumor suppressor gene wts.

The search for new and effective antitumor agents with fewer cytotoxic side effects on normal tissue has increasingly become important. Lapachol, a natural organic compound isolated from the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellandedae), is chemically identified as belonging to the naphthoquinone group and is known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibiotic properties, although there are questions about its effectiveness for treating neoplasic cells. We evaluated the antitumoral effects of lapachol by testing for clones of epithelial tumors in Drosophila melanogaster. Seventy-two-hour old larvae bred from wts/TM3, Sb(1) females and mwh/mwh males, were treated with different concentrations of lapachol (20, 40 and 60 μg/mL). Lapachol alone did not significantly increase the number of epithelial tumors. However, lapachol did significantly reduce the number of tumors provoked by doxorubicin.