Background: Breast cancer is a major health problem worldwide. Olive oil induces apoptosis in some cancercells due to phenolic compounds like oleuropein. Although oleuropein has anticancer activity, the underlyingmechanisms of action remain unknown. The study aimed to assess the mechanism of oleuropin-inducedbreast cancer cell apoptosis. Materials and Methods: p53, Bcl-2 and Bax gene expression was evaluated bysemi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in luminal MCF-7 cells. Results:Oleuropein-induced apoptosis was accompanied by up-regulation of both p53 and Bax gene expression levels anddown-regulation in Bcl2. Conclusions: Oleuropein induces apoptosis in breast tumour cells via a p53-dependentpathway mediated by Bax and Bcl2 genes. Therefore, oleuropein may have therapeutic potential in breast cancerpatients by inducing apoptosis via activation of the p53 pathway.
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