Apoptosis Cell Death Effect of Scrophularia Variegata on Breast Cancer Cells via Mitochondrial Intrinsic Pathway.
OBJECTIVE
Scrophularia variegata M. Beib. (Scrophulariaceae) is an Iranian medicinal plant which is used for various inflammatory disorders in traditional medicine. In this study we evaluated the anti-cancer and cytotoxic effects of the Scrophularia variegata (S. variegata) ethanolic extract on the human breast cancer cell line.


METHODS
The cytotoxicity effect of the extract on MCF-7 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. In addition, Caspase activity, DNA ladder and Cell death were evaluated by ELISA, gel electrophoresis and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, respectively.


RESULTS
The S. variegata extract showed significant effect cytotoxicity on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. Treatment with the extract induced apoptosis on the breast cancer cells by cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase. The results indicated that cytotoxicity activity was associated with an increase of apoptosis as demonstrated by DNA fragmentation as well as an increase of the amount of caspase 3 and caspase 9. In addition, the phytochemical assay showed that the extract had antioxidant capacity and also flavonoids, phenolic compounds and phenyl propanoids were presented in the extract.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicated that S. variegata extract induced apoptosis via mitochondrial intrinsic pathway on breast cancer by cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and an increase of caspase 3 and caspase 9. However future studies are needed.
Immunology Department, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran. ; Immunology Department, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Abbas
A
Azadmehr
Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutics Department of Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran.
Reza
R
Hajiaghaee
Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Behzad
B
Baradaran
Physiology Department, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
Hashem
H
Haghdoost-Yazdi
Apoptosis; Breast cancer cell line; Caspase; Scrophularia variegata