title: Beta-elemene blocks epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 through Smad3-mediated down-regulation of nuclear transcription factors.
abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the first step required for breast cancer to initiate metastasis. However, the potential of drugs to block and reverse the EMT process are not well explored. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of beta-elemene (ELE), an active component of a natural plant-derived anti-neoplastic agent in an established EMT model mediated by transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1). We found that ELE (40 µg/ml ) blocked the TGF-β1-induced phenotypic transition in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. ELE was able to inhibit TGF-β1-mediated upregulation of mRNA and protein expression of nuclear transcription factors (SNAI1, SNAI2, TWIST and SIP1), potentially through decreasing the expression and phosphorylation of Smad3, a central protein mediating the TGF-β1 signalling pathway. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of ELE in treating basal-like breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yinghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jincheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qimin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Luping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C526412:SNRPD3 protein, human; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014157:Transcription Factors; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C445979:beta-elemene; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins