Lipotropes regulate bcl-2 gene expression in the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7

Biological Screening of Polyphenol Derivatives for Anti-Proliferative, Anti-Apoptotic and Anti-Migrative Activities in Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines MCF-7

Breast cancer is known as the most common type of invasive cancer in women. It is well-known that phenolic compounds play an important role in the treatment of this disease. This study hypothesized that isoeugenol based two polyphenolic compounds 1 and 2 exerts its anti-proliferative effects through the induction of apoptosis and cell migration arrest on human breast cancer cell. Based on this hypothesis, the study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative, anti-migrative effects of these compounds and their possible basic molecular mechanisms of action in MCF-7 cell lines. As a result, isoeugenol-based compounds 1 and 2 showed anti-proliferative, anti-apoptotic and anti-migrative effects in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This result was supported by molecular analyzes and it was determined that there were changes in the expression of some gene regions involved in apoptosis and migration. Additionally, it was a remarkable result that cell viability inhibition did not occur in healthy breast tissue cells and no cytotoxic effect was observed. The existence of such a differentiation between cancer cells and healthy cells significantly increases the potential of these compounds to be used as chemotherapeutic drug active ingredients without side effects.

Pd(II) complexes with N-heteroaromatic hydrazone ligands: Anticancer activity, in silico and experimental target identification

Anticancer activity of Pd complexes 1-5 with bidentate N-heteroaromatic hydrazone ligands was investigated on human acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1; cells in a suspension) and human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7; two-dimensional layer and three-dimensional spheroid tumor model) cell lines. For the Pd(II) complexes with condensation products of ethyl hydrazainoacetate and quinoline-8-carboxaldehyde (complex 1) and 2-formylpyridine (complex 3), for which apoptosis was determined as a mechanism of anticancer activity, further investigation revealed that they arrest the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase, induce generation of reactive oxygen species and inhibit Topoisomerase I in vitro. In silico studies corroborate experimental findings that these complexes show topoisomerase inhibition activity in the micromolar range and indicate binding to a DNA's minor groove as another potential target. Based on the results obtained by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements, the most active complexes are suitable to be delivered to a blood stream via human serum albumin.

Methyl-donor nutrients inhibit breast cancer cell growth

Lipotropes (methyl group containing nutrients, including methionine, choline, folate, and vitamin B(12)) are dietary methyl donors and cofactors that are involved in one-carbon metabolism, which is important for genomic DNA methylation reactions and nucleic acid synthesis. One-carbon metabolism provides methyl groups for all biological methylation pathways and is highly dependent on dietary supplementation of methyl nutrients. Nutrition is an important determinant of breast cancer risk and tumor behavior, and dietary intervention may be an effective approach to prevent breast cancer. Apoptosis is important for the regulation of homeostasis and tumorigenesis. The anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 may be a regulatory target in cancer therapy; controlling or modulating its expression may be a therapeutic strategy against breast cancer. In this study, the effects of lipotrope supplementation on the growth and death of human breast cancer cell lines T47D and MCF-7 were examined and found to inhibit growth of both T47D and MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the ratios of apoptotic cells to the total number of cells were approximately 44% and 34% higher in the lipotrope-supplemented treatments of T47D and MCF-7 cancer cells, respectively, compared with the control treatments. More importantly, Bcl-2 protein expression was decreased by approximately 25% from lipotrope supplementation in T47D cells, suggesting that lipotropes can induce breast cancer cell death by direct downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Cancer treatment failure is often correlated with Bcl-2 protein upregulation. These data may be useful in the development of effective nutritional strategies to prevent and reduce breast cancer in humans.

Docetaxel induces cell death through mitotic catastrophe in human breast cancer cells

Apoptosis has long been considered to be the prevailing mechanism of cell death in response to chemotherapy. Currently, a more heterogeneous model of tumor response to therapy is acknowledged wherein multiple modes of death combine to generate the overall tumor response. The resulting mechanisms of cell death are likely determined by the mechanism of action of the drug, the dosing regimen used, and the genetic background of the cells within the tumor. This study describes a nonapoptotic response to docetaxel therapy in human breast cancer cells of increasing cancer progression (MCF-10A, MCF-7, and MDA-mb-231). Docetaxel is a microtubule-stabilizing taxane that is being used in the clinic for the treatment of breast and prostate cancers and small cell carcinoma of the lung. The genetic backgrounds of these cells were characterized for the status of key pathways and gene products involved in drug response and cell death. Cellular responses to docetaxel were assessed by characterizing cell viability, cell cycle checkpoint arrest, and mechanisms of cell death. Mechanisms of cell death were determined by Annexin V binding and scoring of cytology-stained cells by morphology and transmission electron microscopy. The primary mechanism of death was determined to be mitotic catastrophe by scoring of micronucleated cells and cells undergoing aberrant mitosis. Other, nonapoptotic modes of death were also determined. No significant changes in levels of apoptosis were observed in response to docetaxel.