The effect of Persian Juniperus excelsa extracts on cell-cycle phases of MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Abstract

Background: The cell cycle includes four stages in which, DNA content become double during synthesis process; then, the mitosis happens after GAP2 phases, and Gap1 starts again. Cancer cells are immortal and their cell cycle phases go on repeatedly in tissue culture media. It was proposed that adding several plant extracts in cell culture media has modulation effect in cell cycle phases. Methods: The following plant extracts were derived from native Persian Juniperus spp. from north and northwest of Iran and were used with different concentration: 1- Juniperus polycarpus leaves, 2- Juniperus excels branches, 3- Juniperus excels fruits, 4- Juniperus foetidissma leaves, 5- Juniperus foetidissma leaves, 6- Juniperus depressa fruits, 7- Juniperus depressa leaves, 8- Juniperus communisl and 9- Juniperus communis leaves. The breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, was cultured in media and the plant extracts were added in tissue culture wells; after incubation time; the cells were harvested and treated with Propidium Iodide according to standard protocol. The stained nucleus/DNA contents were measured via flow cytometry and using CellQuest and Cylchred softwares for analyzing. Findings: Different patterns of cell cycle phases were obtained after treating with the extract concentrations; for instance, 45.86 of untreated control cells were in G0/G1 phase, 47.52 in synthesis phase and 6.62 in G2/M phase. Treating with taxol (a drug that is mitotic inhibitor), as positive control, tended to 17.31 in G0/G1 phase, 40.18 in synthesis phase and 42.51 in G2/M phase. The most effective extact was from J. Excelsa fruit that reduced the synthesis phase to 21.97 and blocked 23.11 of cell population in G2/M phase. Statistical analysis showed a significant inhibitory effect for the J. Excelsa fruit extract in MCF-7 cell line (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: The Persian junipers excelsa extracts are effective on tumor cells proliferation which could be used for screening the anticancer agents. © 2016, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.