Chemopreventive effects of resveratrol derivatives on breast cancer cells (1011.5)

Abstract

Pterostilbene and piceatannol, two derivatives of resveratrol, are bioactive food compounds that mediates many cellular targets involved in cancer signaling pathways. The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays an essential role in preventing cancer development by inducing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in response to cellular stress. This protein has been suggested to have a role in the anticancer properties of resveratrol and its structural analogues. Thus, the present study was aimed to check the cytotoxic and pro‐apoptotic effects of pterostilbene and piceatannol on human breast cancer cells. MTT reduction cell viability assays showed that resveratrol derivatives (0‐100 µM) promoted a cytotoxic effect on MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. The effects induced by pterostilbene were more pronounced than those triggered by piceatannol in both cell lines. Furthermore, cell treatment with 100 µM of pterostilbene for 24h increased phosphatidylserine exposure on cell surface, which is suggestive of apoptosis. This effect was partially prevented when cells were pretreated with pifithrin‐α, a specific p53 inhibitor. Taken together, our results indicate that pterostilbene can be suggested as a promising chemopreventive agent and the cytotoxicity promoted by this compound in tumor cells possibly requires p53 function.