In this study, I used MDA-MB231 cells, a human breast cancer cell line to investigate the effect of xanthohumol on cell viability. Treatment of MDA-MB231 cells with xanthohumol caused apoptotic cell death in a concentration and a dose-dependent manner...
In this study, I used MDA-MB231 cells, a human breast cancer cell line to investigate the effect of xanthohumol on cell viability. Treatment of MDA-MB231 cells with xanthohumol caused apoptotic cell death in a concentration and a dose-dependent manners. The molecular mechanism by which xanthohumol induces apoptosis appeared to involve the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytoplasm with concurrent increase of Bax level in the mitochondria. The increase of cytochrome c concentration in the cytoplasm resulted in apoptosis through activation of caspase-9-dependent caspase-3 activation. Caspase-3 activation in turn induced the proteolytic cleavage of its substrate such as PARP and ICAD, ladder pattern of DNA fragmentation, and an increase of SubG0/G1 phase cells. Taken together, the beneficial effect of xanthohumol might be used to combat breast cancer.