title: Xanthohumol inhibits cellular proliferation in a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB231) through an intrinsic mitochondrial-dependent pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Xanthohumol isolated from hops has been reported to exhibit anticancer effects in diverse human cancers. However, its effect on breast cancer has not yet been clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of xanthohumol on breast cancer cell proliferation.
  
  
  METHODS
  After treatment with 5 μM, 10 μM, and 20 μM xanthohumol for 48 h, cells from the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 were studied using colony assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survival rate of the MDA-MB231 cells treated with 10 μM and 20 μM xanthohumol for 48 h decreased significantly by 64.7 ± 1.8% and 40.1 ± 1.8%, respectively. The numbers of SubG0/G1 cells in the group treated with 10 μM and 20 μM xanthohumol increased significantly to 11.3 ± 0.2 and 18.4 ± 0.1, respectively. A ladder pattern of DNA fragmentation was also observed. Xanthohumol increased the expression of Bax in the mitochondria, which correspondingly decreased in the cytoplasm. The activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 was shown to increase significantly in the treated groups but not in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xanthohumol inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells through a mitochondria- and caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. This result suggests that xanthohumol might serve as a novel therapeutic drug for breast cancer.
authors: Y B
authors: YB
authors: Yoo
authors: Department of Surgery, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: K S
authors: KS
authors: Park
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Kim
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Kang
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Yang
authors: E K
authors: EK
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Surgery, University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: H Y
authors: HY
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059585:G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D011427:Propiophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494826:BAX protein, human; D005419:Flavonoids; D011427:Propiophenones; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; C104536:xanthohumol