The Mechanism Of Icaritin On Estrogen-dependent Breast Cancer Cells MCF-7

Objective To observe estrogenic effects and antiestrogenic effects of Icaritin alone and in combination with estrogen with different concentration in vitro test,and analyze the process of estrogen receptor expression of ERα.This work preliminarily investigate the mechanism of estrogenic effects of Icaritin and the functioning route of antiestrogenic effects of Icaritin,in order to provide a theoretical foundation which find a treatment of breast cancer match with the surgical method.Methods Estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell line MCF-7 were cultured in vitro and treated with various concentrations of ICT,E2,andICT+E2,the morphological changes of cells were observed by inverted microscope;the proliferation ability was detected by MTT;the apoptosis was observed by Hochest staining with the apoptosis rate counted;Luciferase reporter gen assay kit was used to analyze the expressive activity of ERα;the expression of ERαwere detected by two step Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Response.(RT-PCR).Results 1.After treated with E2andICT separately,The MCF-7 cells became polygon ,increasing the concentration of the E2 and ICT, more and more cells can be seen in the inverted microscopy.When the concentration of E2 is 10-9 mol/l,the concentration of ICT is 10-5mol/l,it can promote MCF-7 cells proliferation most apparently.2.When MCF-7 cells were treated with the combination ofICT and E2,the MCF-7cells became roll and small,increasing the concentration of the ICT,some floating and dead cells can be seen in the inverted microscopy.3.The results that detected by MTT assay show that when the concentration of ICT range from 10-6 to 5×10-5mol/l,it can promote MCF-7cells proliferation,when the concentration of ICT is 10-5mol/l,it can promote MCF-7cells proliferation most apparently.Compared with E2,ICT promotes MCF-7 cells proliferation more weekly.4.When MCF-7cells proliferation treated with the combination of ICT and E2,the results that detected byMTT assay show that the effects of MCF-7cells proliferation treated with the combination of ICT whose concentration is greater than10-9and E2 whose concentration is 10-9mol/l is lower than that E2 Of equal concentration affect alone.5.The activity of ERαreport gene expression can be induced by ICT.This kind of effect of E2 can be antagonized by ICT when treated with the combination of ICT and E2. 6. When MCF-7cells proliferation treated with the combination of ICT and E2,it could down-regulate the expression of ERα.Conclusions 1.The ICT of certain concentration range can promote MCF-7 cells proliferation and has certain phytoestrogenic effects.2.When treated with the combination of ICT and E2,ICTcan antagonize phytoestrogenic effects of E2,and inhibit promotion to MCF-7cells.3.Phytoestrogenic effects of ICT happens probably by acting on ERα,and it has certain function of selective estrogen receptor modulators(SERMs).