Study of Quercetin Enhancing the Adriamycin Activity in Breast Cancer and Mechanism

ZHANG Yangyang; ZHAO Ran; LI Meixin; Li Shizheng

Abstract：Objective To investigate the feasibility and mechanism of quercetin enhancing the adriamycin activity in breast canc-er. Method Effect of Que with different concentration on the growth of human breast cancer MCF-7 and MCF-7/ dox cells was ex-amined by MTT assay. Human breast cancer MCF-7 and MCF-7/ dox cells were treated with ADR alone or ADR with non-cytotoxic dose of Que. Then, proliferative capacity of the cells was measured by using MTT assay, intracellular ADR concentration and cell ap-optosis were analyzed by using flow cytometry, and P-gp expression was detected by Western b1ot assay. Result Que less than 0. 7μM had non-cytotoxic effect on the growth of human breast cancer MCF-7 and MCF-7/ dox cells. Compared with treatment with ADR alone, combined treatment of ADR and quercetin (0. 7μM) significantly inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation, increased the intra-cellular ADR concentration and cell apoptosis, and suppressed the expression of P-gp. Conclusion Que can enhance the sensitivity of adriamycin to breast cancer cells, mechanism of which may be related to the down-regulation of P-gp expression in the cells.