Betulinic acid and oleanolic acid modulate CD81 expression and induce apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer...

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks hormone and HER2 receptors, limiting treatment options.
• Triterpenoids like betulinic acid (BA) and oleanolic acid (OA) exhibit anticancer properties.
• CD81, a tetraspanin, influences cancer cell growth and metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of BA and OA on MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell viability.
• To analyze the impact of BA and OA on CD81 expression, intracellular ROS, and apoptosis.
• To explore the potential therapeutic role of BA and OA in TNBC treatment.

Main Methods:

• Cell culture and treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with BA and OA.
• Cell viability assessment using the CCK8 assay.
• Molecular docking to analyze BA and OA binding to CD81.
• Flow cytometry to evaluate CD81 expression, intracellular ROS, and apoptosis.

Main Results:

• BA and OA significantly inhibited the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells.
• Molecular docking revealed binding affinities of -9.0 kcal/mol for BA-CD81 and -7.2 kcal/mol for OA-CD81.
• BA treatment downregulated CD81 expression.
• Both BA and OA increased intracellular ROS levels and induced apoptosis in TNBC cells.

Conclusions:

• BA and OA demonstrate efficacy in reducing TNBC cell viability.
• These triterpenoids promote apoptosis and increase ROS generation in cancer cells.
• BA's ability to modulate CD81 expression suggests a specific mechanism in TNBC treatment, offering a potential therapeutic strategy.