Metabolomic analysis of resveratrol-induced effects in the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring anticancer compound present in grapes and wine with antiproliferative properties against breast cancer cells and xenografts. Our objective was to investigate the metabolic alterations that characterize the effects of resveratrol in the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 using high-throughput liquid chromatography-based mass spectrometry. In both cell lines, growth inhibition was dose dependent and accompanied by substantial metabolic changes. For all 21 amino acids analyzed levels increased more than 100-fold at a resveratrol dose of 100 μM with far lower concentrations in MDA-MB-231 compared to MCF-7 cells. Among the biogenic amines and modified amino acids (n = 16) resveratrol increased the synthesis of serotonin, kynurenine, and spermindine in both cell lines up to 61-fold indicating that resveratrol strongly interacts with cellular biogenic amine metabolism. Among the eicosanoids and oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids (n = 17) a pronounced increase in arachidonic acid and its metabolite 12S-HETE was observed in MDA-MB-231 and to a lesser extent in MCF-7 cells, indicating release from cell membrane phospholipids upon activation of phospholipase A₂ and subsequent metabolism by 12-lipoxygenase. In conclusion, metabolomic analysis elucidated several small molecules as markers for the response of breast cancer cells to resveratrol.