Title:Anticancer Potential of Aguerin B, a Sesquiterpene Lactone Isolated from <i>Centaurea behen</i> in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
VOLUME: 15 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Elaheh Amini, Mohammad Nabiuni, Seyed Bahram Behzad, Danial Seyfi, Farhad Eisvand, Amirhossein Sahebkar* and Abolfazl Shakeri*
Affiliation:Department of Cellular & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Department of Cellular & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Department of Cellular & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Department of Cellular & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad
Keywords:Aguerin B, anticancer, breast metastatic carcinoma, patent, Rac-1, sesquiterpene lactone.
Abstract:
Background: Breast carcinoma is a malignant disease that represents the most common
non-skin malignancy and a chief reason of cancer death in women. Large interest is growing in the
use of natural products for cancer treatment, especially with goal of suppression angiogenesis, tumor
cell growth, motility, as well as invasion and metastasis with low/no toxicity. It is evident
from recent patents on the anticancer properties of sesquiterpene lactones such as parthenolide.
Objective: In this study, using MDA-MB-231 cells of a human breast adenocarcinoma, the effects
of aguerin B, as a natural sesquiterpene lactone, has been evaluated, in terms of the expression of
metastatic-related genes (Pak-1, Rac-1 and HIF-1α).
Methods: Cytotoxicity of aguerin B was tested toward MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells using
MTT. Scratch assay was accomplished to evaluate the tumor cell invasion. To understand the underlying
molecular basis, the mRNA expressions were evaluated by real time PCR.
Results: It was found that aguerin B significantly inhibited human breast cancer cell growth in
vitro (IC50 = 2μg/mL) and this effect was accompanied with a persuasive suppression on metastasis.
Our results showed that aguerin B in IC50 concentration down-regulated Rac-1, Pak-1, Hif-1α
and Zeb-1 transcriptional levels.
Conclusion: Taken together, this study demonstrated that aguerin B possessed potential anti-metastatic
effect, suggesting that it may consider as a potential multi target bio compound for treatment
of breast metastatic carcinoma.
