Thallium Induces Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Activity in Glioblastoma C6 and U373 Cell Cultures via Apoptosis and Changes in Cell Cycle.

Thallium (Tl) is a heavy metal that causes toxicity in several organs, including the brain. Its cytotoxic profile, combined with its affinity for tumor cells when used as a radioligand for labeling these cells, suggests its potential use as antitumor therapy. In this study, glioblastoma cell lines C6 (from rat) and U373 (from human) were exposed to increased concentrations of thallium(I) acetate (5, 10, 50, 100, or 200 µM) and several toxic endpoints were evaluated, including loss of confluence and morphological changes, loss of cell viability, changes in cell cycle, and apoptosis.