Cytotoxic Effects of Rheum khorasanicum Extract on MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line and ODC1 Gene Expression

Polyamine metabolism has a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. The abnormal overexpression of the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1) enzyme gene could be a characteristic of cancer cells.

The current study evaluated the cytotoxic effects of Rheum khorasanicum extract in three different solvents, including distilled water, ethanol, and n-hexane, on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and assessed the expression level of the ODC1 gene upon the abovementioned treatments.

We cultured MCF-7 cancer cells in complete cell culture media and subsequently subjected them to increasing concentrations (0 - 200 µg/mL) of the extract. The cytotoxic activity of the extract was investigated using an MTT assay. The quantitative analysis of ODC1 gene expression was performed using real-time PCR.

The cell viability was significantly decreased in concentration- and time-dependent manners. The mRNA expression of the ODC1 gene declined gradually with the increasing concentrations of extracts.

Our findings indicated that R. khorasanicum extract could potentially influence ODC1 gene expression in breast cancer cells and exert inhibitory effects on cancer cell proliferation.

Polyamine metabolism has a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. The abnormal overexpression of the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1) enzyme gene could be a characteristic of cancer cells.

The current study evaluated the cytotoxic effects of Rheum khorasanicum extract in three different solvents, including distilled water, ethanol, and n-hexane, on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and assessed the expression level of the ODC1 gene upon the abovementioned treatments.

We cultured MCF-7 cancer cells in complete cell culture media and subsequently subjected them to increasing concentrations (0 - 200 µg/mL) of the extract. The cytotoxic activity of the extract was investigated using an MTT assay. The quantitative analysis of ODC1 gene expression was performed using real-time PCR.

The cell viability was significantly decreased in concentration- and time-dependent manners. The mRNA expression of the ODC1 gene declined gradually with the increasing concentrations of extracts.

Our findings indicated that R. khorasanicum extract could potentially influence ODC1 gene expression in breast cancer cells and exert inhibitory effects on cancer cell proliferation.