title: Ophiopogonin D inhibits cell proliferation, causes cell cycle arrest at G2/M, and induces apoptosis in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of ophiopogonin D on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and colony formation experiments. Cell cycle was measured with cell cycle flow cytometry and a living cell assay. Apoptosis and terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assays were performed to detect the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells induced by ophiopogonin D. Finally, Western blotting was used to explore the mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure of cells to ophiopogonin D resulted in marked decreases in viable cells and colony formation with a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of these cells with ophiopogonin D also resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase, and increased apoptosis. Mechanistically, ophiopogonin D-induced G(2)/M cell cycle arrest was associated with down-regulation of cyclin B1. Furthermore, activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 was involved in ophiopogonin D-induced apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggested that ophiopogonin D inhibits MCF-7 cell growth via the induction of cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase.
authors.affiliation: Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Qing-qing
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D059565:G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D059566:M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects*; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013150:Spirostans / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D013150:Spirostans; C046996:ophiopogonin D