• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.1499-1506
• /
• 2016

Background: Crocus sativus and its major constituent crocin are well established to have anti-cancer properties in breast cancer cells (MCF-7). However the role of C. sativus extract (CSE) and crocin on caspase signaling mediated MCF-7 cell death at molecular level is remains unclear. In this study, we tried to unravel role of CSE and crocin on caspase mediated MCF-7 cells death and their in vivo preclinical toxicity profiling and immune stimulatory effect. Materials and Methods: CSE extract was fractionated by HPLC and crocin was isolated and characterized by NMR, IR, and MS. MCF-7 cells were treated with both CSE and crocin and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was assessed after 24 and 36 hours. Furthermore, caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9 expression was determined by Western blotting after 24 hours of treatment. DNA fragmentation analysis was performed for genotoxicity of CSE and crocin in MCF-7 cells. The in vivo toxicity profile of CSE (300 mg/kg of b.wt) was investigated in normal Swiss albino mice. In addition, peritoneal macrophages were collected from crocin (1, 1.5 and 2 mg/kg body weight) treated mice and analyzed for ex vivo yeast phagocytosis. Results: Immunoblot analysis revealed that there was time dependent decline in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 with simultaneous upregulation of Bax in CSE and crocin treated MCF-7 cells. Further CSE and crocin treatment downregulated caspase 8 and 9 and cleaved the caspase 3 after 24 hours. Both CSE and crocin elicited considerable DNA damage in MCF-7 cells at each concentration tested. In vivo toxicity profile by histological studies revealed no observable histopathologic differences in the liver, kidney, spleen, lungs and heart in CSE treated and untreated groups. Crocin treatment elicited significant dose and time dependent ex vivo yeast phagocytosis by peritoneal macrophages. Conclusions: Our study delineated involvement of pro-apoptotic and caspase mediated MCF-7 cell death by CSE and crocin at the molecular level accompanied with extensive DNA damage. Further we found that normal swiss albino mice can tolerate the maximum dose of CSE. Crocin enhanced ex vivo macrophage yeast phagocytic ability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 2001.11a
• /
• pp.107-107
• /
• 2001

During the last decade, enormous progress has been made on the biological significance of apoptosis. Since ras is among the most central molecule in signaling, we asked if ras regulates apoptotic pathway. We have previously shown that H-ras, but not N-ras, induces an invasiveness and motility in human breast epithelial cells (MCF10A), while both H-ras and N-ras induce transformed phenotype. In this study, we wished to seek a chemopreventive agent that effectively induces apoptosis in H-ras-activated cells. Here we show that capsaicin, the major pungent phytochemical in red pepper, induces caspase 3-involved apoptosis selectively in H-ras activated MCF10A cells while the parental MCF10A cells are not effected. In order to study the molecular mechanisms for the increased sensitivity of H-ras MCF10A cells to capsaicin-induced apoptosis, activation of ras downstream signaling molecules, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKinases), upon capsaicin treatment was investigated. Phosphorylated forms of JNK1 and p38 MAPKinase were prominently increased whereas activated ERK-1/2 was decreased by capsaicin in ras-activated cells. The parental cells did not respond to capsaicin, suggesting that capsaicin selectively induces apoptosis through modulating activities of ras downstream signaling molecules in H-ras-activated cells. Studies using chemical inhibitors (CPT-cAMP, SB203580 and PD98059) and dominant negative constructs of JNKl, p38 and MEK show that activation of JNK1 and p38 MAPKinase, but not ERK-1/2, is critical for ras-mediated apoptosis by capsaicin.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.170.2-170.2
• /
• 2003

Ras expression has been suggested as a marker for tumor aggressiveness of breast cancer, including the degrees of invasion and tumor recurrence. We previously showed that p38 MAPK is a key signaling molecule differentially regulated by H-ras and N-ras, leading to H-ras-specific cell invasive and migrative phenotypes in human breast epithelial cells (Cancer Res: 63, 5454-5461, 2003). In this study, we further investigated the role of p38 MARK pathway in the induction of metastatic potential in MCF10A cells as a "gain of function" study. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.83-83
• /
• 2003

Mutations of p53 tumor suppressor gene have been associated with exposure to carcinogens. Cultured human breast epithelial cells (MCF10A) were treated with Benzo(a)pyrene(BaP) or N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG). MCF10A cells were grown in DMEM/F12 medium and trated for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96h with Bap (1, 10 and 100 $\mu$M) dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO). (omitted)

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.36 no.11
• /
• pp.1385-1390
• /
• 2007

Anticarcinogenic-active compound was isolated and purified from Angelica gigas Nakai. The compound was identified as decursin ($C_{19}H_{20}O_5$; molecular weight 328) by mass, IR spectrophotometry $^1H-NMR$ and $^{13}C-NMR$. The proliferation decreased in a dose dependant fashion in the MCF-7 cells treated with decursin for 24 hours over the concentration of $20{\mu}g/mL$. The $IC_{50}$ value of the decursin treatment for 24 hours were 31.04, 33.60, 27,24, $20.45{\mu}g/mL$ in the SW480, 293, HepG2 and MCF-7 cells, respectively, The growth inhibitory effect was stronger in the MCF-7 cells compared to other cells including 293 of human normal cells. The chromatin condensation, apoptotic body formation and DNA fragmentation were examined in the cells treated with decursin. These results suggest that decursin from Angelica gigas Nakai inhibited the growth through apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.142-142
• /
• 2003

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$, a hormonally active polypeptide found in normal and transformed tissue, is a potent regulator of cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we examined the effect of TGF-${\beta}$ on invasion and motility of MCF10A human breast epithelial cells. TGF-${\beta}$ induced migration and invasive phenotype of the parental MCF10A cells in a dose-dependent manner.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.165.1-165.1
• /
• 2003

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-$\beta$, a hormonally active polypeptide found in normal and transformed tissue, is a potent regulator of cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we examined the effect of TGF-$\beta$ on invasion and motility of MCF10A human breast epithelial cells. TGF-$\beta$-induced migration and invasive phenotype of the parental MCF10A cells in a dose-dependent manner. Activity of MMP-2 promoter was increased by TGF-b, suggesting that the TGF-$\beta$-induced invasive phenotype may possibly be mediated by MMP-2 rather than MMP-9. (omitted)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.1829-1832
• /
• 2013

In the present study, investigations were carried out to screen the anticancer activities of fenugreek seed oil against cancer cell lines (HEp-2, MCF-7, WISH cells), and a normal cell line (Vero cells). Cytotoxicity was assessed with MTT and NRU assays, and cellular morphological alterations were studied using phase contrast light microscopy. All cells were exposed toi 10-1000 ${\mu}g/ml$ of fenugreek seed oil for 24 h. The results show that fenugreek seed oil significantly reduced the cell viability, and altered the cellular morphology in a dose dependent manner. Among the cell lines, HEp-2 cells showed the highest decrease in cell viability, followed by MCF-7, WISH, and Vero cells by MTT and NRU assays. Cell viability at 1000 ${\mu}g/ml$ was recorded as 55% in HEp-2 cells, 67% in MCF-7 cells, 75% in WISH cells, and 86% in Vero cells. The present study provides preliminary screening data for fenugreek seed oil pointing to potent cytotoxicity against cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.3281-3287
• /
• 2016

Bioactive compounds extracted from leaves and twigs of Goniothalamus griffithii include pinocembrin (PCN) and goniothalamin (GTN). The objectives of this study were to investigate the cytotoxic activities of PCN and GTN and their influence on molecular signaling for cell death in several human cancer cell lines compared to normal murine fibroblast NIH3T3 cells. GTN exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 > HeLa > HepG2 > NIH3T3 cells with $IC_{50}$ values of 7.33, 14.8, 37.1 and $65.4{\mu}M$, respectively, whereas PCN was cytotoxic only to HepG2 cells with $IC_{50}$ values of ${\sim}80{\mu}M$. Apoptotic cell death was confirmed by staining the cells with annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI) employing flow cytometry. Apoptosis was shown by externalization of phosphatidylserine in goniothalamin-treated MCF-7 cells in a dose response manner. Positive PI-stained cells with the typical morphology of apoptotic cells were increased dose-dependently. Furthermore, reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential was found in goniothalamin-treated MCF-7, HepG2 and HeLa cells. GTN treatment in MCF-7 increased caspase-3, -8 and -9 activities while GTN-induced HeLa cells showed an increase of both caspase-3 and -9 activities. But an increased caspase-8 activity was demonstrated in GTN- and PCN-treated MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, respectively. Taken together, GTN- and PCN-induced human cancer cell apoptosis was through different molecular mechanisms or signaling pathways, which might be due to different machineries in different types of cancer cells, as evidenced by the compound-modulated caspase activities in both intrinsic and/or extrinsic pathways.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.2979-2984
• /
• 2012

Recent studies have indicated a link between levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and development of the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. The ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2) is a major MDR-related transporter protein that is frequently overexpressed in cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate any positive correlation between COX-2 and ABCG2 gene expression using the COX-2 inducer 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in human breast cancer cell lines. ABCG2 mRNA and protein expression was studied using real-time RT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. A significant increase of COX-2 mRNA expression (up to 11-fold by 4 h) was induced by TPA in MDA-MB-231 cells, this induction effect being lower in MCF-7 cells. TPA caused a considerable increase up to 9-fold in ABCG2 mRNA expression in parental MCF-7 cells, while it caused a small enhancement in ABCG2 expression up to 67 % by 4 h followed by a time-dependent decrease in ABCG2 mRNA expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. TPA treatment resulted in a slight increase of ABCG2 protein expression in MCF-7 cells, while a time-dependent decrease in ABCG2 protein expression was occurred in MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, based on the observed effects of TPA in MDA-Mb-231 cells, it is proposed that TPA up-regulates ABCG2 expression in the drug sensitive MCF-7 breast cancer cell line through COX-2 unrelated pathways.