American ginseng and breast cancer therapeutic agents synergistically inhibit MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth

✍ Scribed by Duda, Rosemary B.; Zhong, Ying; Navas, Vinicio; Li, Michael Z. C.; Toy, Brian R.; Alavarez, Juan G.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 398 KB
• Volume: 72
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4790
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9098(199912)72:4<230::aid-jso9>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

Background and Objectives: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) purportedly alleviates menopause symptoms because of putative estrogenicity. Methods: Using a standardized American ginseng (AG) extract in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, the objectives were to evaluate the ability of AG to induce the estrogen-regulated gene pS2 by Northern blot analysis, determine the effect on cell growth using the MTT assay, and evaluate the cell cycle effects by flow cytometry. Results: AG and estradiol equivalently induced RNA expression of pS2. AG, in contrast to estradiol, caused a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation (P < 0.005). AG had no adverse effect on the cell cycle while estradiol significantly increased the proliferative phase (percent S-phase) and decreased the resting phase (G 0 -G 1 phase) (P < 0.005). Concurrent use of AG and breast cancer therapeutic agents resulted in a significant (P < 0.005) suppression of cell growth for most drugs evaluated. Conclusions: In vitro use of AG and breast cancer therapeutics synergistically inhibited cancer cell growth.