ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of vitamin E succinate(VES) combined with ~chemotherapeutic drugs on the proliferation of human breast cancer cells. Methods Bcap-37 human breast cancer cells were treated with VES combined with chemotherapeutic drugs for 24h and 36h. The ~concentrations of VES were 10?g/mL and 20?g/mL and those of 5-florouracil, mitomycin and ~cyclophosphamide were 16.9?g/mL and 33.8?g/mL, 1?g/mL and 3.3?g/mL and 100?g/mL and 300?g/mL respectively. The inhibitory effect was measured with MTT method and the cell cycle and cell ~surface Fas expression were analyzed with flow cytometry assay. Results The combination of VES with ~chemotherapeutic drugs had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of Bcap-37 human breast cancer cells. Flow cytometry assay of cell cycle showed that the natural apoptptic rate of Bcap-37 cells was 0.7%;after treatment with VES 20?g/mL,the apoptotic rate was 19.2%;after treatment with 5-Fu,mitomycin and ~cyclophosphamide the apoptotic rates were 16.2%,16.7% and 12.3%,respectively;after the combined use of VES and the 3 chemotherapeutic drugs,the apoptotic rates were 40.3%,44.8%,39.6%,~respectively .Fas expression in cancer cells increased after the co-administration of VES and chemotherapy drugs. Conclusions VES combined with chemotherapeutic drugs had significant inhibitory effect on the growth of Bcap-37 human breast cancer cells. The mechanism may be related to Fas upregulation on the surface of cancer cells.