Gene expression analysis and Anti-cancer activity of cyclophosphamide for MCF-7 and H9 cancer cell lines

Background: Cancer is a term refer to a group of diseases which is characterized by cell-growth in uncontrolled manner. It is considered one of the major global challenges, due to difficulty in cancer management, and this difficulty which also associated with their treatment. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the impact of cyclophosphamide on the cell viability of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer and H9 lymphoma cancer cell lines and the detection of gene expression. Materials and Method: Cancer cell lines MCF7 and H9 were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 50 g/ml for ampicillin and streptomycin, and assessed the cytotoxic effect of cyclophosphamide therapy with concentration (50 g/ml) for serial dilution (50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 and 3.125 g/ml) for 48 and 72 hours using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Additionally, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was conducted to identify the expression of related genes, including EPCAM and of Keratin type I cytoskeletal 19 (KRT19). Results: The highest significant inhibition rates were obtained at the doses (50 and 25 μg/ml) after 48 and 72 hours compared to other concentrations in the same treated period. According to sensitivity, MCF7 were more sensitive to cyclophosphamide than H9 cells for 48 and 72 hours. Also, our results observed the down-regulation of the GAPDH, and ERBB2 gene at 72 hours after treatment in MCF-7 and H9 cells. Meanwhile, KRT19 gene expression was up-regulated in MCF-7 and H9 cells after exposure to Chemotherapy for 72 hours. Conclusion: The current in vitro study showed that cyclophosphamide has a concentration- and time-dependent harmful effect on the MCF7 and H9 cell lines.