Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Ambrosin exerts strong anticancer effects on human breast cancer cells via activation of caspase and inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Xiangling Meng¹ , Zhuling Shao²

¹Department of General Thoracic Surgery; ²Department of Emergency, The Third Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.

For correspondence:- Xiangling Meng Email: MyahCastroaik@yahoo.com Tel:+865398769222

Accepted: 14 March 2021 Published: 30 April 2021

Citation: Meng X, Shao Z. Ambrosin exerts strong anticancer effects on human breast cancer cells via activation of caspase and inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(4):809-814 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i4.22

© 2021 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the antitumor effects of ambrosin sesquiterpene lactone on drug-resistant MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

Methods: The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used for cell viability studies. Apoptotic effects were determined using 4′,6-diamidino2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining assay, while Annexin V/PI was used for the quantification of apoptosis. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined by flow cytometry using DCFH-DA fluorescence staining while the effects of ambrosin on apoptosis and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway-allied proteins were evaluated by Western blotting assay.

Results: Ambrosin significantly suppressed the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Results from Annexin V/PI staining revealed that ambrosin induced production of apoptotic crops and blebbing of plasma membrane in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, annexin V/PI assay results showed increases in percentage of cells in different stages of apoptosis. Thus, ambrosin promoted caspase-dependent-apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, ambrosin enhanced the formation of ROS in MDA-MB-231 cells, as was evident from increased DCF-fluorescence (p < 0.05). The results also showed dose-dependent inhibition of Wnt/beta-Catenin signaling pathway by ambrosin.

Conclusion: Ambrosin exerts a chemo-preventive effect on breast cancer cells via induction of programmed cell death, enhanced ROS production, caspase activation and suppression of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. These findings have potential benefits for breast cancer research and drug discovery.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Sesquiterpenoids, Ambrosin, Apoptosis, Caspase activation, Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway