title: Anti-breast cancer effects and mechanisms of Xihuang pill on human breast cancer cell lines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the anti-breast cancer (BC) effects and mechanisms of action of Xihuang pill (XHP) by conducting in vitro experiments on human BC cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two human BC cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA- MB231) were cultured and treated with XHP. Cell viability was detected using the 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycle and apoptosis. The cell cycle was analyzed with propidium iodide staining. Apoptosis was evaluated using the Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide method. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and ER-beta.
  
  
  RESULTS
  XHP had growth-inhibitory effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 10.14 mg/mL (MCF-7) and 8.98 mg/mL (MDA-MB231). Apoptosis was induced to some extent. Certain changes in the ER were caused. Upregulation of ER-a protein was found in MCF-7 cells. ER-beta expression in MDA-MB231 cells was increased. Cell-cycle arrest was not observed in the two BC cell lines. ER-1 expression in MCF-7 cells was unchanged. No ER-a expression was shown in MDA-MB231 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that XHP can affect cell viability and cause apoptosis, but that the cell cycle is not blocked. XHP has a certain impact on ER expression, but its mechanisms of action of anti-BC effects may not be due to regulation of ER expression.
authors.forename: Guofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Wandan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fangbo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jianlu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rixin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta