Iris Nertschinskia Ethanol Extract Differentially Induces Cytotoxicity in Human Breast Cancer Cells Depending on AKT1/2 Activity

Recently, we reported that an ethanol extract of Iris nertschinskia induces p53-dependent apoptosis inthe MCF7 human breast cancer cell line. However, the detailed mechanisms were not fully explored. Here,we demonstrate another aspect of the activity of I. nertschinskia in breast cancer cells. We compared theresponse to an ethanol extract of I. nertschinskia in two different human breast cancer cell lines, Hs578TandMDA-MB231, respectively with relatively low and high AKT1/2 activity by trypan blue exclusion assayand FACS analysis. Knockdown of endogenous AKT1 or AKT2 in breast cancer cells by RNA interferencedetermined the sensitivity to I. nertschinskia ethanol extract compared to control cells. The I. nertschinskiaethanol extract induced cell death in a manner that depended on the level of phosphorylated AKT1/2 proteinand was associated with a significant increase in the sub-G1 cell population, indicative of apoptosis. Ourresults indicate that an ethanol extract of I. nertschinskia differentially induces cell death in breast cancercells depending on their level of phosphorylated AKT1/2.