Effect of crocin and doxorubicin / radiation on the breast cancer cell line, Michigan Cancer Foundation-7

Abstract

Crocin is the main carotenoid of saffron showing anticancer properties. Doxorubicin as a chemotherapy drug and X-ray or gamma radiation therapy are used extensively in the treatment of breast cancer. However their side effects limited their use. The aim of this study was to investigate the apoptosis of Michigan center foundation-7 breast cancer cells in monolayer culture (in vitro), using crocin, doxorubicin, radiation, crocin-radiation, and crocin-doxorubicin. To explore the effect of crocin, doxorubicin and radiation, Michigan center foundation -7 cell line was cultured and treated with different concentrations of crocin and doxorubicin. MTT assay was used to evaluate the toxicity, PI flowcytometry was used to evaluate the apoptosis and Western blotting was applied to investigate the protein expression of p53, PARP, and caspase-7. According to the MTT assay, crocin can decrease growth of Michigan center foundation-7cell in a dose and time dependent manner. The results of flowcytometry also showed that apoptosis rate was significantly higher in the combined test than Separate tests. Western blot analysis also revealed that the proteins expression in combined groups was much than separated groups. This study revealed the expression of apoptotic proteins in the combined therapy of saffron and radiation or saffron and drug was significantly higher than that in using radiation or drug alone.