The Apoptosis Induction Effect Of Vitamin E Succinate On Human Breast Cancer Cells

PURPOSE A vitamin E derivative, vitamin E succinate (Vitamin E succinate, VES; a-tocopheryl Succinate, a-TOS), induce human B lymphoma, prostate, colon, lung, gastric, and endometrial tumor cells in culture to undergo apoptosis but not normal human epithelial cells. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that VES will promote estrogen receptor positive and negative human breast cancer cells growth inhibition and apoptosis induction and analyzed the function of Fas molecular in the process of induction of breast cancers to apoptosis.METHODS Estrogen receptor positive (MCF-7) and negative(MDA-MB-435) human breast cancer cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium and treated with VES for 12h, 24h and 48h. The concentrations of VES were 5μg/ml, 10μg/ml and 20μg/ml. The inhibitory effect was measured with MTT method. After the VES treatment, breast cancer cells were collected and resuspended in PBS. PI was added and the cell cycle was analyzed with flow cytometry while the apoptotic rate was calculated at the same time. To analyze the function of Fas protein in the process of apoptosis induction, blocking assay was applied by anti-Fas neutralized antibody. Breast cancer cells were treated with VES for 48h at the concentrations of 5μg/ml, 10μg/ml and 20μg/ml, then the cells were lysed and protein was quantified and separated with SDS-PAGE and transferred to a nitrocelular membrane with a semi-dry apparatus. The level of Fas protein was detected by...