Effect of the Ethanolic Extract of Eryngium billardieri on the Viability of the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line (MDA-MB-231) and CDKN2A, MDM2, and HER2 Expression
Azadeh Hekmat, Elaheh Ghanbari, Saeed Hesami TackallouObjective: Currently, treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses a significant challenge. Eryngium billardierei is widely employed as a medicinal plant, particularly for the treatment of cancers. However, there is a notable shortage of research investigating the effects of E. billardierei on TNBC. This study seeks to evaluate the anticancer capabilities of the ethanolic extract of E. billardierei concerning TNBC, as well as its impact on the expression of CDKN2A, MDM2, and HER2.
Materials and Methods: The MTT assay, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) assay, AO/EtBr dual staining, and flow cytometry were utilized to assess the anticancer potential of the extract of E. billardierei against theMDA-MB-231 cell line. In addition, the impact of E. billardierei extract on the expression of CDKN2A, MDM2, and HER2 was examined using real-time PCR.
Results: The results conclusively demonstrated that the extract of E. billardierei exhibited a dose-dependent suppression of the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, treatment with the extract induced apoptosis in cancer cells. The inhibitory effect on growth was attributed to the generation of ROS, leading to a significant upregulation (P<0.01) of CDKN2A expression and a downregulation (P<0.05) of MDM2 expression. Conversely, the expression of HER2 remained unaffected following extract treatment.
Conclusion: The outcomes of this study provide a foundation for considering the use of E. billardierei extract in the treatment of TNBC. However, additional research is warranted to investigate the mechanisms of E. billardierei extract across a broader spectrum of TNBC cell lines.