Association between extract of Euphorbia szovitsii and expression level of microRNAs in MDA-MB-231 cell line

Background The miRNAs have been shown to be involved in breast cancer. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the impacts of extract from Euphorbia szovitsii Fisch & C.A. Mey on the expression level of microRNAs in triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell line. Methods and Result The alterations in the expression level of miRNAs in MDA-MB-231 cell line exposed to the extract of E. szovitsii were determined exploiting qRT-PCR technique. The expression of MDA-MB-231 cell microRNAs including miR-15, miR-16, miR-21, miR-29, miR-34a, miR-146b, miR-151, miR-155, miR-181b, miR-221, miR-222, and Let-7 was evaluated at 24 and 48 h after treatment with the E. szovitsii extract. The treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with E. szovitsii caused a significant elevation in the expression of miR-155, miR-146b (P < 0.05), miR-16, miR-21, miR-151 (P < 0.01), and miR-34a (P < 0.001) after 24 h, and also miR-155, Let-7 (P < 0.05), miR-15, miR-29, miR-151 (P < 0. 01), miR-146b and miR-34a (P<0.001) after 48 h. Conclusions The qRT-PCR findings at 24 and 48 h after treatment revealed that the MDA-MB-231 cell line in the presence of E. szovitsii extract showed an alteration in the expression profile of miRNAs implicated in the induction of cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration. These results may be helpful in determining the anticancer activity of E. szovitsii in MDA-MB-231 cell line.