Effects of carbon nanoparticles-epirubicin suspension on cell proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer MCF-7 cells

Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of carbon nanoparticles-epirubicin suspension on proliferation and apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Methods MCF-7 cells were cultured with different concentrations of CNP-EPI in vitro. CCK-8 assay was used for determinate inhibition effect of CNP-EPI on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells at different concentration and different time. According to the determination of IC50, 5 μg/ml CNP-EPI was selected, and cell morphology and cell apoptosis rates were observed after 24 h. Results The inhibition effect of the CNP-EPI was stronger significantly in CNP-EPI group than in normal control group within 24 h, 48 h, 72 h when the concentration was from 1 μg/ml to 200 μg/ml (P<0.01) .The inhibition of CNP-EPI on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells was gradually strengthened in a dose-dependent relation within the same time, and the inhibition effect is reduced in the same concentration of drugs with the time extension, but it still has a strong inhibitory effect in 72 h, and the inhibition effect of different concentration of CNP was not obvious on MCF-7 cells. Obvious changes of cell morphology were observed under inverted microscope such as: a lot of dead cells, cell adherent growth poor, cell morphology became round and karyopycnosis etc, in 5 μg/ml CNP-EPI group after 24 h. However, no obvious abnormity of cell morphology was observed in normal control group and corresponding CNP group. Late apoptosis rate was (14.57±2.41) %, the mortality rate could reach (78.63±0.55) % in 5 μg/ml CNP-EPI group after 24 h. The mortality rate and apoptosis rate of cells was higher significantly in CNP-EPI group than in CNP group and normal control group (P<0.05) . Conclusion CNP-EPI can obviously inhibit the proliferation or kill human breast cancer MCF-7cells, and the inhibition effect of CNP-EPI on proliferation of breast cancer cells might be the result of delayed releasing of EPI. Key words: Carbon nanoparticles; Epirubicin; MCF-7 cells; Proliferation; Apoptosis