Cytotoxic effects of bilberry extract on MCF7-GFP-tubulin breast cancer cells
Abstract
Bilberry (European blueberry) has been reported to have many biological effects, including anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative effects of bilberry extract in relation to its ability to induce apoptosis and affect microtubule assembly and organization in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. We observed that bilberry extract inhibited cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent fashion with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.3-0.4 mg/mL, in concert with induction of apoptotic cell death. At these concentrations there was no selective inhibition of mitosis or any other cell cycle stage, nor was there any apparent effect on the microtubule or actin cytoskeletons. However, somewhat higher extract concentrations (0.5-0.9 mg/mL) did cause an increase in the fraction of cells at the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle, together with destruction of microtubules and formation of punctate tubulin aggregates in the cells. Bilberry extract at 0.3-0.4 mg/mL did not appreciably inhibit microtubule polymerization in vitro, but significant inhibition of polymerization (approximately 30%) did occur at higher extract concentrations (0.5-1 mg/mL). We conclude that bilberry extract as ingested by humans, not just th...Continue Reading
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Human tumor cell growth inhibition by nontoxic anthocyanidins, the pigments in fruits and vegetables
Phenolic compounds from blueberries can inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis
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Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis