[Effect of apoptosis in human breast cancer cells and its probable mechanisms by genistein].

Objective: To investigate the effects of genistein on human breast cancer cell MCF-7 apoptosis and its probable mechanisms.
Methods: In this study, the methods of MTT, cell apoptosis detecting in fluorescent and electronic microscope and flow cytometry, and expression of Bax and erbB-2 protein were employed.
Results: The results showed that genistein could significantly inhibit the growth and induce the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Apoptotic cells of morphology from MCF-7 cells treated by different concentrations of genistein were observed by fluorescent and electronic microscope and the frequency of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by flow cytometry showed increasingly with concentrations of genistein increased. The expression of Bax protein in MCF-7 cells was increased and the expression of erbB-2 protein was decreased with the doses of genistein.
Conclusion: Genistein can induce MCF-7 cells apoptosis and it may be one of the mechanisms for the inhibitory effect of genistein in human cancer cells.