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VOLUME 16, 2015  Issue Number 7 , 2939-2946
DownLoad : 2939-2946 9.4 Arif Hussain.pdf
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Aloe vera Inhibits Proliferation of Human Breast and Cervical Cancer Cells and Acts Synergistically with Cisplatin
Arif Hussain et al
Abstract
Many of the anti-cancer agents currently used have an origin in natural sources including plants. Aloe vera is
one such plant being studied extensively for its diverse health benefits, including cancer prevention. In this study,
the cytotoxic potential of Aloe vera crude extract (ACE) alone or in combination with cisplatin in human breast
(MCF-7) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cells was studied by cell viability assay, nuclear morphological examination
and cell cycle analysis. Effects were correlated with modulation of expression of genes involved in cell cycle
regulation, apoptosis and drug metabolism by RT-PCR. Exposure of cells to ACE resulted in considerable loss
of cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent fashion, which was found to be mediated by through the apoptotic
pathway as evidenced by changes in the nuclear morphology and the distribution of cells in the different phases
of the cell cycle. Interestingly, ACE did not have any significant cytotoxicity towards normal cells, thus placing
it in the category of safe chemopreventive agent. Further, the effects were correlated with the downregulation of
cyclin D1, CYP 1A1, CYP 1A2 and increased expression of bax and p21 in MCF-7 and HeLa cells. In addition,
low dose combination of ACE and cisplatin showed a combination index less than 1, indicating synergistic
growth inhibition compared to the agents applied individually. In conclusion, these results signify that Aloe vera
may be an effective anti-neoplastic agent to inhibit cancer cell growth and increase the therapeutic efficacy of
conventional drugs like cispolatin. Thus promoting the development of plant-derived therapeutic agents appears
warranted for novel cancer treatment strategies.
Key Words: Aloe vera - bax - cisplatin - cyclin D1 - cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases - synergistic - p21
 
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