The Mechanism Of Cantharidin Induced Apoptosis In Breast Cancer Cells

Objective: To investigate the effect of cantharidin on the proliferation and apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and explore the possible mechanism.Methods: MCF-7 cells were exposed to cantharidin(0,0.5,1.5,4.5,13.5,40.5?mol/L)for 24 h,and then the cell proliferation was assayed by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay.MCF-7 cells were treated with cantharidin(0,2.5,5,10,20,30?mol/L)for 24 h,stained by PI and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Expression of ?-actin,p-Src,Src,p-Akt,Akt,p-Met,Met,Cbl-b was analyzed by Western Blotting.Results: CCK-8 assay results showed that inhibitory rate of cantharidin on MCF-7cells proliferation increased with the increase of cantharidin concentration.The 50%inhibitory concentrations(IC50)at 24 h was 11.79?mol/L.Flow cytometry analysis results showed that 5?mol/L of cantharidin significantly induced G2 M arrest and8.2% of cells apoptosis.The apoptosis was increased to 19% after treated with10?mol/L cantharidin.Western Blotting analysis showed that cantharidin treatment resulted in the upregulation of Cbl-b,and the down-regulation the activity of Met,Src and Akt.Conclutions: Cantharidin could suppress MCF-7 cells proliferation in a dose-dependent manner.Cantharidin might induce MCF-7 cells apoptosis through upregulating Cbl-b and down-regulating the activity of Met,Src and Akt.