The effects of FeONPs@SiO2 and FeONPs@pectin nanoparticles on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and the expression of BAX, TPX1 and BCL2 genes.

Breast cancer is a cause of death in women, making it a significant issue in women's health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of nanoparticles (NPs) of FeONPs@pectin and FeONPs@SiO on MCF-7 cells. FeONPs@pectin and FeONPs@SiO NPs were prepared using the chemical coprecipitation technique. The characteristics of the NPs were determined using physical methods. The cytotoxic effects of the NPs were assessed by the MTT assay. The expression levels of BAX, BCL2, and TPX1 genes were determined using real-time PCR. The results indicated a density ratio of 0.11, a saturation magnetism value of 68.5 emu/g, and a spherical with sizes of 98 nm for the NPs. The MTT assay showed that 500 μg/mL of NPs had 75 % toxicity on MCF-7 cells after five days. The increased expression of BAX with 250 μg/mL of FeO@pectin showed a significant relationship (p-value = 0.0030). Down-regulated expression of BCL2 showed a significant relationship between the three groups treated with 250 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL of FeO@SiO and 250 μg/mL of FeO@pectin (p-values of 0.0014, 0.0009 and 0.0030, respectively). Additionally, decreased TPX indicated a significant relationship between treatment at 125, 250 and 500 μg/mL of FeO@SiO (p-values of 0.0388, 0.0063 and 0.0496, respectively).