Cucurbitacin D exhibits its anti-cancer effect in human breast cancer cells by inhibiting Stat3 and Akt signaling

Abstract

Cucurbitacins are triterpenoids commonly found in Cucurbitaceae and Cruciferae and have long been used in traditional medicine. Cucurbitacins demonstrate anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. We investigated whether cucurbitacin D affects viability in breast cancer cells and its mechanism of action. An MTT assay was used to measure the viability of breast cancer cells. Western blot analysis was used to measure the expression of various modulators, such as p-p53, p-Stat3, p-Akt, and p-NF-κB. Doxorubicin and cucurbitacin D affected the viability of MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and SKBR3 cells. Cucurbitacin D and doxorubicin increased p-p53 expression in MCF7, SKBR3, and MDA-MB-231 cells. Cucurbitacin D suppressed p-Akt, p-NF-κB, and p-Stat3 expression in MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and SKBR3 cells. Doxorubicin alone did not decrease p-Akt and p-Stat3 levels. Cucurbitacin D decreased p-NF-κB and p-Stat3 levels. Doxorubicin in combination with cucurbitacin D increased p-p53 levels and suppressed Akt, NF-κB, Stat3, and Bcl-2 expression more than cucurbitacin D alone. Our results clearly demonstrate that cucurbitacin D could be a useful compound for treating human breast cancer.