Embelin-induced MCF-7 breast cancer cell apoptosis and blockade of MCF-7 cells in the G2/M phase via the mitochondrial pathway

Embelin is a small molecular inhibitor extracted from Myrsinaceae plants that specifically inhibits XIAP, affecting the proliferation and apoptosis of various types of tumor cells. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that embelin is able to induce the apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, its mechanism of action is not yet clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of the mitochondrial pathway in embelin-induced apoptosis and the effect of embelin on the cell cycle. Different doses of embelin were added to MCF-7 breast cancer cells and it was found that embelin was able to induce apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that embelin caused changes in the MCF-7 cell mitochondrial membrane potential and blocked the cell cycle of MCF-7 cells in the G2/M phase. Moreover, embelin was demonstrated to promote mitochondrial release of cytochrome C via regulation of Bax and Bcl-2, resulting in the activation of caspase-3 and -9, while no significant changes in the level of caspase-8 were observed. The results have demonstrated that embelin-induced apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells involves the mitochondrial pathway.