Study the Effect of Sulforaphane on the Expression of CXCR4 and Snail in Breast Cancer Cells

Metastasis is known to be the primary cause of death in the majority of breast cancer patients. The transcription factor of snail and the signaling pathway of CXCR4/SDF1are one of the most important factors in the process of metastasis. Thus, targeting EMT and CXCR4/SDF1 pathway represents an important therapeutic strategy for preventing or treating breast cancer metastasis. Natural products due to their therapeutic activities constitute a common alternative for conventional treatments. Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, exhibits anticancer properties. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various concentrations of SFN on cell migration in breast cancer cells and also the expression of CXCR4 and snail which are important in EMT induction and metastasis. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with different concentrations of SFN. The effect of SFN on cell migration was evaluated using scratch assay, after 72 hours. Next, the effect of SFN on the expression of CXCR4 and snail were examined by real-time PCR. SFN significantly retarded the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. High concentrations of SFN (40µM), reduced the expression of CXCR4; however, There was no significant changes in the expression of snail in none of studied concentrations. According to the obtained results, SFN can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent to decrease breast cancer metastasis.