Background
Ursolic acid (UA), a primary bioactive triterpenoid, was reported as an anti-cancer agent. However, the current knowledge of UA and its potential anti-cancer mechanisms and targets in breast cancer cells are limited. In this study, we aimed to illustrate the potential mechanisms and targets of UA in breast cancer cells MCF-7.
Conclusion
Our data indicated that the anti-tumor effects of UA are due to the inhibited RAF/ERK pathway and IKK/NF-κB pathway. It could also be explained by the reduced phosphorylation of PLK1 in MCF-7 cells. This study provides a new insight for deep understanding of the new anti-cancer mechanisms of UA in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
Methods
The effect of UA on cell growth was determined in MCF-7 cells by MTT assay. The anti-tumor mechanism of UA was evaluated by microarray, CAMP, and Western blot. Moreover, the molecular docking between UA and potential receptors were predicted by iGEMDOCK software.
Results
The result of MTT assay demonstrated that UA could inhibit MCF-7 cell growth with IC50 values of 20 μM. Microarray and CMAP analysis, validated by Western blot, indicated that UA significantly modulated IKK/NF-κB, RAF/ERK pathways, and down-regulated the phosphorylation level of PLK1 in MCF-7 cells.