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Ganoderma lucidum extract induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell
Hongbo Hu1, Nam-Shik Ahn, Xinlin Yang
1Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Sumon 441-744, Korea.
Abstract:
Although the pharmacology and clinical application of water extracts of Ganoderma lucidum have been extensively documented, little is known regarding its alcohol extract. In the present study, the anti-tumor effect of an alcohol extract of Ganoderma lucidum was investigated using MCF-7 cells. We found that the alcohol extract of Ganoderma lucidum inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which might be mediated through up-regulation of p21/Waf1 and down-regulation of cyclin D1. Furthermore, this compound can directly induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, which might be mediated through up-regulation of a pro-apoptotic Bax protein and not by the immune system. Our findings suggest that there are multiple mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor effects of Ganoderma lucidum.