title: Wortmannin induces MCF-7 breast cancer cell death via the apoptotic pathway, involving chromatin condensation, generation of reactive oxygen species, and membrane blebbing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apoptosis can be used as a reliable marker for evaluating potential chemotherapeutic agents. Because wortmannin is a microbial steroidal metabolite, it specifically inhibits the phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase pathway, and could be used as a promising apoptosis-based therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the biomolecular mechanisms involved in wortmannin-induced cell death of breast cancer-derived MCF-7 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our experimental results demonstrate that wortmannin has strong apoptotic effects through a combination of different actions, including reduction of cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, inhibition of proliferation, and enhanced generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that wortmannin induces MCF-7 cell death via a programmed pathway showing chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, reactive oxygen species, and membrane blebbing, which are characteristics typical of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Applied Biosciences Emphasis, Department of Applied Science, University Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Rozina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akter
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Technology, University Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Md Zakir
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, College of Science and of Mathematics, University Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Maurice G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kleve
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, College of Science and of Mathematics, University Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gealt
keywords: apoptosis; flow cytometry; human breast adenocarcinoma; reactive oxygen species; wortmannin