Induction of apoptosis by Rhizoma Paridis saponins in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

This study investigates the relationship between the induction of MCF-7 human breast cancer cell apoptosis by Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) and the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. We treated MCF-7 cells with RPS at various concentrations and examined the inhibitory effect of RPS on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells using the 4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) using JC-1 staining, and the expression levels of related proteins using western blot. The results showed that the inhibitory effect of RPS against the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells might be related to the apoptosis induced caspase family and the caspase-3-dependent pathway. The results suggest that RPS has the potential to be a valuable anticancer agent.