Induction of Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cell Line by Artesunate

Artesunate, a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua, is an effective novel antimalarial drug and more recently is used in medications that induce tumor cell apoptosis; however the mechanism of action is not clear yet. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine whether artesunate could induce the apoptosis of a human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, and to clarify its related mechanism. For this purpose, MCF-7 cells were treated with artesunate and then cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis detection with Annexin VFITC/ PI staining was followed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, Caspase-3, -8, and -9 colorimetric assay kits were employed to determine caspase protease activity. MTT assay results demonstrated that artesunate significantly inhibits the growth of MCF-7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, based on the findings of Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, the cytotoxicity of artesunate in MCF-7 cells occurs through apoptosis and by increasing the cellular levels of caspase-3, -8 and -9. Taken together, it could be concluded that artesunate effectively induces apoptosis in MCF-7 cells through caspase-dependent pathways, so may be a promising candidate for the treatment of breast cancer

Keywords:

Artesunate , MCF-7 Cells , Breast Cancer , Apoptosis , Caspase