Equol elicits estrogenic activities via PI3K/akt pathway in the estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells

Molecular & Cellular Toxicology

Chunyan Hu²  Huaqing Liu¹  Zhong Li²  Xuesen Wu¹ 

[1] Bengbu Medical College$$;Nanjing Medical University$$

关键词: Positive feedback loop;   

DOI  :  10.1007/s13273-014-0032-9

学科分类：分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

来源: Korean Society of Toxicogenomics and Toxicoproteomics

【 摘 要 】

Equol is a product of intestinal bacterial metabolism of the soy isoflavone, daidzein. It has more potent estrogenic effects than daidzein. Uncontrolled activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway contributes to the development of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine if the PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in equol-induced estrogenic activity. For MCF-7 human breast cells, low, physiological concentrations of equol enhanced proliferation, but equol-induced cell proliferation was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor, wortmannin. Equol induced activation of akt, but inhibition of Akt phosphorylation by wortmannin led to suppression of equol-induced estrogen response element reporter activity and to suppression of the estrogen-responsive gene, pS2. Further we found that there was a positive feedback loop between PI3K and ERα. In conclusion, equol elicits activation of PI3K/Akt signaling in an ERα-dependent manner, and this activation appears to be involved in proliferation of breast cancer cells and estrogen-dependent transcriptional activation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown