title: Synergistic anticancer effects of lectin and doxorubicin in breast cancer cells.
abstract: We studied the effects, either combined or alone, of lectin from Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum agglutinin, VCA) and doxorubicin (DOX) in MCF-7 (estrogen receptor-positive) and MDA-MB231 (estrogen receptor-negative) human breast cancer cells. When VCA and DOX were combined, a strong synergistic effect was shown in cell growth inhibition, compared to VCA or DOX treatment alone. In quantitative apoptosis studies analyzed by flow cytometry, a combination of two agents showed an increase in apoptosis in both cells, compared to agents alone. Also, pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax, Bik, and Puma were increased in both cells, and the survival factor Bcl-2 was inhibited in MCF-7 cells when drugs were combined. Furthermore, VCA combined with DOX mediated S phase arrest, accompanied with a decrease of cell number at G0/G1 phase. This suggests that VCA and DOX combination may possibly lead to a novel strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, 500-757, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Eui
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Ae-Kyung
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Su-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lyu
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D059807:S Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D028182:Viscum album / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D004317:Doxorubicin