The aim of this study was to explore the effects of oxymatrine in treating breast cancer patients using biomolecular methodology. Human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were treated with oxymatrine at concentrations of 0 (control), 25, 50 and 100 µg/mL. Apoptosis assay by Annexin/PI staining was performed to examine the effects of oxymatrine on apoptotic rates of MCF-7 cells at time points of 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after treatment. Real-time PCR was performed for the mRNA abundance of Bax and Bcl-2 after the cells were treated with oxymatrine at concentration of 0, 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL at the time points of 24, 48, and 72 h. Western blotting was performed when the cells were treated with oxymatrine at various concentrations for 72h. High concentration of oxymatrine at 100 µg/mL enhanced apoptosis by 6.4-fold at 72 h compared with control (33.16% vs. 4.47%; t= 9.82, p< 0.001). Oxymatrine at 100 µg/mL up regulated Bax mRNA abundance by 169 % at 72 h (t = 18.32, p = 0.001), and reduced Bcl-2 mRNA abundance by 24 % at 72 h (t = 6.30, p = 0.001) compared with control. Oxymatrine enhanced the expression of Bax protein while reduced the expression of Bcl-2 protein. Oxymatrine treatment showed pro-apoptotic effects in breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and these effects correlated with the up regulation of Bax transcription and protein expression and the down regulation of Bcl-2 transcription and protein expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner.
Conclusion: Oxymatrine had effects in promoting apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells by mediating the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2.