calcium-fructoborate and Breast-Neoplasms

Evidences about the preventive and therapeutic effects of boron compounds on cancer have been increasing in the last years. Although calcium fructoborate (CaFB) is used as a nutritional supplement, data about its preventive and therapeutic effects on neoplastic transformations are limited. In the present study, the various concentrations of CaFB were applied to the MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cancer cell line. First, we examined the cytotoxic effect and IC

Topics: Anticarcinogenic Agents; Borates; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Fructose; Humans; Neoplasm Proteins

Recent studies suggested that boron has a chemo-preventive role in prostate cancer. In the present report, we investigated the effects of calcium fructoborate (CF) and boric acid (BA) on activation of the apoptotic pathway in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Exposure to BA and CF inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with CF but not BA resulted in a decrease in p53 and bcl-2 protein levels. Furthermore, after the treatment with CF, augmentation of pro-caspase-3 protein expression, cytosolic cytochrome c level, and caspase-3 activity were observed, indicating apoptotic cell death induction. This was also demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick-end-labeling assay. In conclusion, our data provide arguments to the fact that both BA and CF inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells, while only CF induced apoptosis. Additional studies will be needed to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for the observed cellular responses to these compounds and to determine if BA and CF may be further evaluated as chemotherapeutic agents for human cancer.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Blotting, Western; Borates; Boric Acids; Breast Neoplasms; Caspase 3; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cytochromes c; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fructose; Humans; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53