Adiponectin induces growth arrest and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell

• DOI: 10.1007/bf02978210
• Publication Date: 2008-10-30T10:05:00Z
• Authors: Jee Hyun Kang; Yoon Young Lee; Byung Yeon Yu; Beom -Seok Yang; Kyung -Hwan Cho; Do Kyoung Yoon; Yong Kyun Roh
• Keywords: Cell Cycle; Tetrazolium Salts; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Recombinant Proteins; 3. Good health; Thiazoles; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Cell Line, Tumor; Humans; Female; Adiponectin; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Cell Proliferation; Plasmids

Recently, it was reported that reduction in serum adiponectin levels is correlated with the incidence of breast cancer. As an effort to explain this, we screened various human breast cancer cell lines to identify those in which proliferation is directly controlled by adiponectin. Among the five tested cell lines, proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cancer cell was significantly suppressed by adiponectin within the range of physiological concentration. Furthermore, prolonged adiponectin treatment caused cell growth arrest and even apoptosis of MDA-MB-231. This result is the first to show that adiponectin can directly control cancer cell growth and provides a rationale for the theory that reduction in plasma adiponectin levels could be a risk factor for breast cancer.