title: Induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by indole-3-carbinol is independent of p53 and bax.
abstract: The anticancer activity of indole-3-carbinol and the possible mechanisms involved were explored in human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D. Treatment with indole-3-carbinol suppressed the growth of MCF-7 and T47D cells. MCF-7 cells were more sensitive to indole-3-carbinol than T47D cells. The growth suppression caused by indole-3-carbinol was found to be partially involved in its ability to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in MCF-7 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that wild-type p53 was not induced after treatment of MCF-7 cells with indole-3-carbinol. Northern blot analysis showed that treatment of MCF-7 cells with indole-3-carbinol did not affect the expression of bax gene (one of the death genes). In the tissue culture medium, indole-3-carbinol was found to be partially converted to 3,3'-diindolylmethane. The experiments indicated that indole-3-carbinol suppressed MCF-7 cell growth in part by induction of apoptosis which was independent of p53 and bax expression and that the effect caused by indole-3-carbinol was partially due to its conversion to a more potent compound, 3,3'-diindolylmethane, in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yannai
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000502:physiology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D003470:Culture Media; D007211:Indoles; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C016517:indole-3-carbinol