title: [Study on the inhibiting effects of equol on MCF-7 cells proliferation and its molecular mechanisms].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the proliferation inhibition effects of equol on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and explore its molecular mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentration of equol, including 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 micromol/L. After the treatment, the proliferation rate of cells was examined by MTT method and the cell apoptosis percentage and cell cycle phase were determined by flow cytometry. The bag-1, bcl-2, VEGF, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p38 and p-p38 protein were determined using Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A dose and time effect of proliferation inhibition of equol was proved in MCF-7. The MCF-7 cell apoptosis percentage increased significantly in the groups of equol, and the cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase. The expression of bag-1, bcl-2, VEGF, p-ERK1/2 and p-p38 protein were decreased gradually with the increase concentration of equol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The equol could inhibit the proliferation of the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and its inhibitory effect may be due to inducing apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase, down-regulating the expression of bag-1, bcl-2, VEGF, p-ERK1/2 and p-p38 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China. znxywm@163.com
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
authors.forename: Guofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D060754:Equol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C091732:BCL2-associated athanogene 1 protein; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014157:Transcription Factors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D060754:Equol