title: Preliminary study of the effects of β-elemene on MCF-7/ADM breast cancer stem cells.
abstract: We examined expression differences in breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) of the doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell line MCF-7/ADM and doxorubicin-sensitive cell line MCF-7/S. The effects of Chinese medicine β-elemene on BCSCs and resistance protein expression were determined. The serum-free cell culture method was used for cell culture, and morphology was observed to determine the rate of cell sphere formation. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) gene expression. Flow cytometry was used to determine BCRP- and P-gp-positive cell rates and CD44 + CD24-/low cell ratios. Morphological observation and gene amplification showed that compared with MCF-7/S cells, the serum-free cell sphere-forming rate and P-gp and BCRP gene expression levels were higher in MCF-7/ADM cells. Flow cytometry results showed that P-gp and BCRP protein expression in MCF-7/ADM cells was 77.78 ± 9.55% and 32.33 ± 5.12%, respectively, and the CD44 + CD24-/low cell rate was 64.79 ± 11.78%, which were all significantly higher than those in MCF-7/S cells (3.97 ± 1.51, 14.26 ± 2.51, 18.79 ± 3.28%; P < 0.05). β-elemene significantly decreased the serum-free cell sphere-forming rate in MCF-7/ADM cells and BCRP and P-gp gene/protein expression (P < 0.01). The proportion of CD44 + CD24-/low cells was reduced. MCF-7/ADM highly expressed the drug-resistant proteins BCRP and P-gp, which can be used for long-term in vitro culture and as a seed cell for studies of BCSCs. β-elemene can inhibit BCSC and the sphere-forming rate in MCF-7/ADM cells and reduce BCRP expression.
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Dong
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Zhou
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors: J W
authors: JW
authors: Liu
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Medical University, Dalian, China gaoyajie_gyj@yeah.net.
authors: Y J
authors: YJ
authors: Gao
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C116614:ABCG2 protein, human; D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C445979:beta-elemene; D004317:Doxorubicin