Dietary flavonoid carvacrol triggers the apoptosis of human breastcancer MCF۷ cells via the p۵۳/Bax/Bcl۲ axis

Recently, numerous studies have shown that natural compounds such as carvacrol can be used as therapeutic agents for medicinal purposes. Although carvacrol was found to suppress breast cancer cell lines, however, whether the therapeutic effect of carvacrol on breast cancer is caused by increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic genes in the MCF-۷ cell line has not been studied. In this research, we investigate the effect of carvacrol on the expression of P۵۳, pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic BCL-۲ genes in MCF-۷ cells. After preparation and cultivation of MCF-۷ cells, the IC۵۰ value of carvacrol on the cells was evaluated by MTT assay, and then apoptosis induction was observed in the cell line treated with different concentrations of carvacrol by DAPI staining. To assess the expression level of Bax, P۵۳ and Bcl-۲ both in genes and protein levels QPCR method and western blot analysis were used. According to the results of the research, it was determined that treated MCF-۷ cells. Real-time PCR assay and western blot showed increasing the Bax and P۵۳ expression and decreasing the expression of the Bcl-۲ anti-apoptotic gene and protein. These results showed that carvacrol has cell growth inhibition effects on the MCF-۷ cancer cell line. Carvacrol-induced p۵۳-dependent apoptosis, which might be related to the Bax/Bcl-۲ associated pathway. These results indicated that carvacrol could be considered suitable for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.IntroductionBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women and it is the second most common type of malignancy in all known cancers. More than two million new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year and resulting in the death of approximately ۴۲,۰۰۰ people worldwide. Among the natural compounds, carvacrol, which is an active natural monoterpenoid phenol, is found in everyday foods and recognized as a safe food additive in beverages, sweets, baked foods and chewing gums . Studies demon shwed that carvacrol exhibit strong antioxidant properties, equivalent to ascorbic acid, butyl hydroxyl toluene (BHT) and vitamin E Carvacrol also shows anticancer, anti fungal and antiviral properties.previous research declares that carvacrol inhibits various cancer cells growth like hepatocellular carcinoma cell (HepG-۲) line, chronic myeloid leukemia cells (K۵۶۲), cervical cancer cell lines (SiHa and HeLa) and non-small cell lung cancer cells (A۵۴۹). In this study, the aim is to investigate the pharmacological effects of carvacrol on P۵۳, for this purpose, we treated luminal A MCF-۷ breast cancer cells with carvacrol and assessed the effect of carvacrol on cell apoptosis and P۵۳ gene expression status