Fucoidan induces Apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 Cells by Activating Caspase Cascade and Down-regulating XIAP

Abstract

Previous studies have shown fucoidan could induce apoptosis in breast cancers, while the detailed mechanisms need to be investigated.Results of this study illustrated that number of viable MDA-MB-231 cells was decreased by fucoidan with a dose-dependent manner, while the fucoidan did not affect the viable epithelial cells number of normal human mammary (MCF10A).. After incubation with fucoidan, several apoptotic events such as chromatin condensation and increase of the population of G2/M phase were observed in MDA-MB-231 cells. RT-PCR and Western blot results showed that the activation of caspase cascade such caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9, as well as the expression of XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein), was involved in the apoptosis process. Besides that, reactive oxygen species(ROS) production was increased after fucoidan treatment. These results indicated that fucoidan could induce the apoptotic cell death through modulation of XIAP and caspases activation in MDA-MB-231 cells and could also induce the generation of ROS.