Extract Triggers Apoptosis and Down-Regulates Gene Expression in Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Background: Studies have shown that zinc finger protein 703 (ZNF703) is overexpressed in breast cancer. Levisticum (L.) is a herbal plant with proven medical characteristics in traditional medicine. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of (HELO) on both estrogen receptor-positive (ER) and -negative (ER) cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468, respectively).

Methods: The anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities of HELO were investigated on both cell lines using MTT and flow-cytometry methods. Real-time PCR was employed to determinate the changes in mRNA expression of the gene.

Results: The 50% maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC) of HELO on ER and ER- cells were 200 and 150 µg/mL after 48 h-treatment. Statistically significant increases in both early and late apoptosis rates were seen in exposed cell lines. expression was less from 4 to 24 h HELO treatment than in untreated cells, and expression was higher in the more invasive MDA-MB-468 cells than in the less invasive MCF-7 cells. Our results demonstrated that HELO induces apoptosis and decreases cell growth in both cell lines.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that HELO alters the mRNA levels of gene while inducing apoptotic cell death in breast cancer-derived cell lines. The use of suppression can be considered as a beneficial target in breast cancer research.