title: Apoptosis of human breast cancer cells induced by microencapsulated betulinic acid from sour jujube fruits through the mitochondria transduction pathway.
abstract: Betulinic acid (BA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, was isolated from sour jujube fruits for the first time. An inclusion complex comprising BA and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was formed to improve the dissolution of BA, but little is known about its anticancer effect. In this study, the anti-proliferative and apoptosis mechanisms of BA-β-CD on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were further investigated. Experimental results confirmed that the complexation model inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, arrested cell cycle in the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis via the mitochondria transduction pathway. Gene and protein analyses showed that the complexation model significantly inhibited Bcl-2 expression and promoted Bax expression, causing caspase-3 and caspase-9 cascade activation. These findings corroborated evidence on microencapsulated BA as an apoptosis inducer in MCF-7 cells. Thus, sour jujube fruits may have potential use as a breast cancer chemotherapeutic agent.
authors: College of Science, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, Liaoning 123000, China. katherineyfs@gmail.com
authors: Yan-Fang
authors: YF
authors: Sun
authors: Chuan-Kui
authors: CK
authors: Song
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Viernstein
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Unger
authors: Zong-Suo
authors: ZS
authors: Liang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004339:Drug Compounding; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031957:Ziziphus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000094062:Betulinic Acid
chemical_list: D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D000094062:Betulinic Acid