Abstract
BackgroundS-allyl mercaptocysteine (SAMC), a water-soluble component derived from garlic, has been found to exert multi-antitumor activities. This study was to investigate the responsible molecular mechanisms of SAMC in human breast cancer cell lines.MethodsSulforhodamine B assay was used to determine cell viability, flow cytometry was applied for the analysis of cell cycle and cell apoptosis, the change of protein was detected by Western blot.ResultsIt was found that SAMC exhibited an effective cell growth inhibition of human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (ER positive) and MDA-MB-231 (ER negative) in a dose- and time-dependent manner by inducing cell cycle arrested in G0/G1 phase, the block of cell cycle was associated with the up-regulation of p53 and p21. Furthermore, the SAMC-mediated cell cycle arrest was accompanied with promotion of apoptosis, as indicated by the changes in the nuclear morphology and expressions of apoptosis-related proteins. SAMC clearly triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway as indicated by activation of Bax, decreased expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, and subsequent activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3.ConclusionThese results highlight the value of a continued investigation into the use of SAMC as a potential antitumor candidate for breast cancer.
Highlights
S-allyl mercaptocysteine (SAMC), a water-soluble component derived from garlic, has been found to exert multi-antitumor activities
These results highlight the value of a continued investigation into the use of SAMC as a potential antitumor candidate for breast cancer
The unrestrained cell proliferation leads to the generation of tumors, induction of cell cycle arrest has been appreciated as a target for the management of cancer [25,26]
Summary
S-allyl mercaptocysteine (SAMC), a water-soluble component derived from garlic, has been found to exert multi-antitumor activities. This study was to investigate the responsible molecular mechanisms of SAMC in human breast cancer cell lines. Breast cancer is the top cancer in women both in the developed and developing world. The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing in the developing world and it has been the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide [1]. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with distinct clinical behaviors and molecular properties; in particular estrogen receptor (ER) positive and ER negative cancers are the two most distinct subtypes [3]. ER positive cells exhibit a higher proliferative capacity and distinct drug response than ER negative cells [4,5]. ER negative cancer cells are generally more sensitive to chemotherapy, but associated with poor clinical outcomes [6,7]. It becomes primary importance to search for more efficient and less toxic adjuvant therapeutic strategies that lead to better drug-free and overall survival
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