Effect of Euphorbia microsciadia Boiss Extract on Cell Proliferation and Cytokine Expression in Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231

Euphorbia microsciadia Boiss is a plant used in traditional medicine for cancer treatment in many countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of E. microsciadia extract on the elimination of tumor cells and the expression of cytokines in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

The cells were cultured in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, penicillin and streptomycin. The effect of the extract on the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. To evaluate the expression level of the mRNA after MDA-MB-231 cell line treatment with the plant extract, the RNA was extracted to cDNA synthesis. The mRNA expression level was measured in the samples by TaqMan real-time PCR technique.

After 24 and 48 h, the IC50 values for the E. microsciadia extract were 278.30 and 238.20μg/ml, respectively. The extract exhibited anti-proliferative effects on the MDA-MB-231 cell line in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The expression levels of INF-γ IL-8 and IL-1β were significantly increased 24 and 48 hours after the extract treatment. The expression levels of TGF-β1, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17A were increased after 24 h of treatment and decreased after 48 h of treatment.

The E. microsciadia extract may be used as a tool to manipulate the expression of cytokine genes and ultimately control cell growth and proliferation, which is essential for molecular and cellular studies in the cancer therapy.