The effect of Crocetin on cholesterol depletion-mediated lipid raft disruption-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of lipid raft function loss due to depletion of cholesterol in the lipid raft structure of cell membrane by crocetin and Methyl β cyclodextrin (MβCD) on cell viability and lipid raft-associated gene and apoptotic gene expressions of breast cancer cell (MCF-7). For this purpose, MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations of MβCD and crocetin. Cell viability was evaluated by WST-1 at 24 and 48 hours. The mRNA expressions of caveolin 1, LRP 6, survivin, Bcl2, Bax, and Caspase3 were assessed in the MβCD-treated group; crocetin-treated group; mixed-treated group MβCD+ crocetin MCF-7 cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction at 24 h exposure. Cell viability indicated that all concentrations of MβCD decreased the viability of MCF-7 cells compared with control; reduction in cell viability was greatest with 1 mM. Additionally, exposure to all crocetin concentrations significantly reduced the cell viability of MCF-7 in a time-dependent manner. There was statistically significant down-regulation of caveolin 1, LRP-6, survivin, Bcl2 in response to MβCD, and crocetin at 24 h but Bax ve caspase 3 expressions were increased compared to control at 24h. These results indicated that crocetin application to MCF-7 in addition to MβCD regulated mRNA expression of lipid raft-associated genes and apoptotic genes. These findings suggest that crocetin affects MCF-7 function via cholesterol depletion-related deterioration in the lipid raft structure, which is critical for the induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.