J Tradit Chin Med. 2013 Dec;33(6):770-8. doi: 10.1016/s0254-6272(14)60011-x.
To investigate the anti-breast cancer (BC) effects and mechanisms of action of Xihuang pill (XHP) by conducting in vitro experiments on human BC cell lines.
Two human BC cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA- MB231) were cultured and treated with XHP. Cell viability was detected using the 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycle and apoptosis. The cell cycle was analyzed with propidium iodide staining. Apoptosis was evaluated using the Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide method. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and ER-beta.
XHP had growth-inhibitory effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 10.14 mg/mL (MCF-7) and 8.98 mg/mL (MDA-MB231). Apoptosis was induced to some extent. Certain changes in the ER were caused. Upregulation of ER-a protein was found in MCF-7 cells. ER-beta expression in MDA-MB231 cells was increased. Cell-cycle arrest was not observed in the two BC cell lines. ER-1 expression in MCF-7 cells was unchanged. No ER-a expression was shown in MDA-MB231 cells.
These data suggest that XHP can affect cell viability and cause apoptosis, but that the cell cycle is not blocked. XHP has a certain impact on ER expression, but its mechanisms of action of anti-BC effects may not be due to regulation of ER expression.
通过体外实验研究西红花丸（XHP）对人乳腺癌细胞系的抗乳腺癌（BC）作用及其作用机制。
培养两种人乳腺癌细胞系（MCF-7 和 MDA-MB231）并用 XHP 处理。用 3-(4,5-二甲基噻唑-2-基)-2,5-二苯基四氮唑溴盐（MTT）法检测细胞活力。用流式细胞术检测细胞周期和细胞凋亡。用碘化丙啶染色分析细胞周期。用 Annexin V-荧光素异硫氰酸酯/碘化丙啶法评估细胞凋亡。用 Western blot 分析雌激素受体（ER）-α和 ER-β的表达。
XHP 对 MCF-7 和 MDA-MB231 细胞具有生长抑制作用，其半最大抑制浓度（IC50）分别为 10.14 mg/mL（MCF-7）和 8.98 mg/mL（MDA-MB231）。凋亡在一定程度上被诱导。ER 发生某些变化。MCF-7 细胞中 ER-a 蛋白上调，MDA-MB231 细胞中 ER-β表达增加。在两种 BC 细胞系中未观察到细胞周期停滞。MCF-7 细胞中 ER-1 表达不变。MDA-MB231 细胞中没有 ER-a 表达。
这些数据表明，XHP 可以影响细胞活力并诱导细胞凋亡，但不会阻断细胞周期。XHP 对 ER 表达有一定影响，但其抗 BC 作用的机制可能不是通过调节 ER 表达。
