ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC RESVERATROL ON HUMAN BREAST EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a phytoalexin, is a co nstituent of the human diet that has been shown to inhibit cellular pr ocesses associated with tumor initiation, promotion and progression. I n this study, we examined the effect of synthetic resveratrol on the p roliferative capacity of immortal and neoplastic human breast epitheli al cells in culture. MCF-7, an estrogen receptor-positive breast cance r cell line, MCF-10F, an immortal estrogen receptor-negative breast ep ithelial cell line, and MDA-MB-231, a malignant estrogen receptor-nega tive breast epithelial cell line, were treated with 5, 10, 20 or 40 mu g/ml resveratrol, and their proliferative activities were determined with the WST-1 colorimetric assay after periods of time ranging from 2 4 to 144 h of treatment. Our results showed that this phytoalexin inhi bited the proliferation of human breast epithelial cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Treatment of cells with resveratrol reduced th e number of viable cells and prevented the exponential growth of the t hree cell lines examined. These observations indicate that resveratrol has a direct antiproliferative effect on human breast epithelial cell s that is independent of the estrogen receptor status of the cells. Th us, this dietary compound is a potential chemopreventive agent for bot h hormone responsive and non-responsive breast cancers.