The apoptotic effects of progesterone and testosterone on colon cancer (SW480) cells

Abstract

Introduction: The association of sex steroids with cancer cell proliferation has been reported in recent studies; however, the findings are still controversial. The present study aimed to determine the cytotoxic effects of progesterone and testosterone on colon cancer (SW480) cells and to evaluate the expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax genes in SW480 cells. Materials and Methods: The SW480 cell line was divided into a control group (untreated) and groups treated with 125, 250, 500, and 1000 μg/mL of testosterone and progesterone. Cell viability was quantified by the MTT assay. qRT-PCR was performed to evaluate gene expression levels. Flow cytometry was used to assess the apoptosis in cancer cells. Data were analyzed using the student's t-test and ANOVA. Results: The expression level of the Bax gene significantly decreased in SW480 cells exposed to a cytotoxic dose of progesterone. Moreover, the expression level of the Bax gene significantly increased in the SW480 cells exposed to a cytotoxic dose of testosterone. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that testosterone might affect the apoptosis of colon cancer cells at low concentrations. Studies have shown that progesterone can induce tumor cell death in cancer cells. Accordingly, the clinical use of testosterone and progesterone therapy for cancer treatment is highly controversial.