fucoxanthinol and Breast-Neoplasms

We evaluated whether low doses of the natural carotenoid fucoxanthin and/or of its metabolite fucoxanthinol are effective against proliferation of estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 and estrogen-resistant MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines.. These cell lines were stimulated with 10 to 20 μM fucoxanthin and/or fucoxanthinol, followed by cell viability assays, Annexin V immunofluorescence to evaluate apoptosis, as well as mRNA and protein extractions for changes in nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) members' expressions and nuclear translocations.. Fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol reduced the viability of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in a time-dependent manner as a result of increased apoptosis. In both cell lines, modulatory actions of fucoxanthinol on members of the NF-κB pathway were more pronounced than that of fucoxanthin.. In MDA-MB-231 cells, fucoxanthinol reduced nuclear levels of NF-κB members' p65, p52 and RelB. Fucoxanthinol and fucoxanthin could be effective for the treatment and/or prevention of breast cancer.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; beta Carotene; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Nucleus; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; MCF-7 Cells; NF-kappa B; SOX9 Transcription Factor; Xanthophylls

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid present in the chloroplasts of brown seaweeds. When ingested, it is metabolized mainly to fucoxanthinol in the gastrointestinal tract by digestive enzymes. These compounds have been shown to have many beneficial health effects. The present study was designed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms of action of fucoxanthin and/or of its metabolite fucoxanthinol against viability of estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 and estrogen-resistant MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol reduced the viability of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners as a result of increased apoptosis. Furthermore, fucoxanthinol-induced apoptosis was more potent than that of fucoxanthin and correlated, for MDA-MB-231 cells, with inhibitory actions on members of the NF-κB pathway p65, p50, RelB, and p52. Being overexpressed and regulated by NF-κB in different types of cancers, the transcription factor SOX9 was also decreased at the nuclear level by fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol in MDA-MB-231. Taken together, the current results suggest that fucoxanthinol and fucoxanthin could be potentially effective for the treatment and/or prevention of different types of cancers, including breast cancer.

Topics: Apoptosis; beta Carotene; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Female; Humans; MCF-7 Cells; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; NF-kappa B p52 Subunit; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; Signal Transduction; SOX9 Transcription Factor; Transcription Factor RelA; Transcription Factor RelB; Xanthophylls