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Medical Oncology
Published in: Medical Oncology 1/2012

01-03-2012 | Original Paper

Ursolic acid induces apoptosis by suppressing the expression of FoxM1 in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

Authors: Jing-song Wang, Tian-nian Ren, Tao Xi

Published in: Medical Oncology | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Ursolic acid (UA), a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene, is a potent in vitro anticancer agent, acting through control of growth, apoptosis, and differentiation. As the anticancer effect and the mechanism of action of ursolic acid on human breast cancer cells has not been extensively studied, we performed an evaluation of the effects of UA on apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. UA was found to inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a concentration and time-dependent manner. After treatment, UA-induced apoptosis was accompanied by a significant decrease in CyclinD1/CDK4 expression, which can be regulated by FoxM1. Previous studies demonstrated that FoxM1 orchestrates the transcription of genes that are essential for cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. The result of Western blot suggested that ursolic acid inhibited the expression of FoxM1. Taken together, the data suggest that the proapoptotic effect of UA on MCF-7 cells is mediated by inhibition of FoxM1 and is highly correlated with inactivation of CyclinD1/CDK4.
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Metadata
Title
Ursolic acid induces apoptosis by suppressing the expression of FoxM1 in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells
Authors
Jing-song Wang
Tian-nian Ren
Tao Xi
Publication date
01-03-2012
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Medical Oncology / Issue 1/2012
Print ISSN: 1357-0560
Electronic ISSN: 1559-131X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-010-9777-8

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