Experimental study on β-elemene combined with tamoxifen inhibiting the apoptosis of breast cancer cell strain MCF-7

Objective:To investigate whether MCF-7 cell strain of breast cancer can be restrained by β-elemene in coordination with tamoxifen(TAM), and its possible mechanism. Methods: MTT method was used to test the inhibitory effect of β-elemence combined with TAM on MCF-7 cell strain, FCM mensurate cell cycle and the percentage of apoptosis, SP method to test bcl-2, pS2 expression change. Results: Different dosage of β-elemene and curative dose of tamoxifen reduced absorptions significantly compared with the group of tamoxifen alone, meanwhile the inhibitory rates increased significantly. The increaseing of G0/G1 phase cell proportion tested by FCM, the percentage of apoptosis elevated after treated by the medicine, bcl-2, pS2 express obviously declined. Conclusion:β-elemene enhances the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on MCF-7 cell strain of breast cancer significantly,which indicates the inhibition of TAM on breast cancer cell strain can be synergized by β-elemene, the mechanism concern with influence cell cycle, promotes apoptosis, and downregnlates bcl-2, pS2 expression.