Adhesion, proliferation, and apoptosis in different molecular portraits of breast cancer treated with silver nanoparticles and its pathway-network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted considerable attention due to the variety of their applications in medicine and other sciences. AgNPs have been used in vitro for treatment of various diseases, such as hepatitis B and herpes simplex infections as well as colon, cervical, and lung cancers. In this study, we assessed the effect on proliferation, adhesion, and apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines of different molecular profiles (MCF7, HCC1954, and HCC70) exposed to AgNPs (2-9 nm). METHODS: Breast cancer cell lines were incubated in vitro; MTT assay was used to assess proliferation. Adhesion was determined by real-time analysis with the xCELLingence system. Propidium iodide and fluorescein isothiocyanate-Annexin V assay were used to measure apoptosis. The transcriptome was assessed by gene expression microarray and Probabilistic Graphical Model (PGM) analyses. RESULTS: The results showed a decreased adhesion in breast cancer cell lines and the control exposed to AgNPs was noted in 24 hours (p≤0.05). We observed a significant reduction in the proliferation of MCF7 and HCC70, but not in HCC1954. Apoptotic activity was seen in all cell lines exposed to AgNPs, with an apoptosis percentage of more than 60% in cancer cell lines and less than 60% in the control. PGM analysis confirmed, to some extent, the effects of AgNPs primarily on adhesion by changes in the extracellular matrix. CONCLUSION: Exposure to AgNPs causes an antiproliferative, apoptotic, and anti-adhesive effect in breast cancer cell lines cultured in vitro. More research is needed to evaluate the potential use of AgNPs to treat different molecular profiles of breast cancer in humans.

Combination effect naringin and pravastatin in lipid profile and glucose in obese rats.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of naringin 100mg/kg in combination with pravastatin 10mg/kg by gavage for 6weeks compared with monotherapy over lipid profiles, glucose levels and weight in murine model of obesity. MAIN METHODS: The study design was planned with 5 groups of 6 male Wistar Albina rats: Group 1: control with balanced food and vehicle (C-); Group 2: control with Obesity and vehicle (C+); Group 3: Obesity+naringin (N); Group 4: Obesity+pravastatin (P); Group 5: Obesity+pravastatin+naringin (NP). Obesity was developed with a food model. KEY FINDINGS: The naringin groups showed a decrease in weight gain and low glucose values compared to the control group (weight NP:311.4 vs C+:348.6; glucose NP: 173.12 vs C+:235.56) (p<0.05); the group with naringin+pravastatin combination showed the total cholesterol (TC), LDL and triglycerides (TGs) to normal levels (TC NP:51.6 vs C+:83.4; LDL NP:9.32 vs C+:32.32; TGs NP:39.4 vs C+:89.4) (p<0.05); but was not statistically significant compared with monotherapy. SIGNIFICANCE: The combination of naringin and pravastatin did not appear to be better than monotherapy on lipids, but its use could generate euglycemic and antiobesogenic effects, in addition to diminishing the adverse hepatic effects of pravastatin in rats.