Effects of 8-hydroxyquinoline-coated graphene oxide on cell death and apoptosis in MCF-7 and MCF-10 breast cell lines

Objective(s): Breast cancer is a devastating disease related to women. The anticancer properties of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) and the increasing use of graphene oxide (GO), as a drug delivery system with anti-cancerous properties, led us to investigate the toxicity and apoptosis-induction capability of 8HQ-coated GO on breast cancer cells compared with normal breast cells. Materials and Methods: Breast cancer (MCF-7) and normal breast (MCF-10) cell lines were treated with several doses of 8-HQ-coated GO for 12, 24, and 48 hr. The toxicity of the nanocomposite was measured using MTT assay and the effect of the nanocomposite on cell apoptosis was determined by examining the expression of P53, P21, Bax, and BCL2 genes, as well as Annexin-V /PI apoptosis assay. Results: There were significantly increased cell deaths in nanocomposite-treated MCF-7 breast cancer cells, compared with treated normal breast cells. Significantly increased expression of P53, P21, and Bax genes and reduced expression of BCL2 gene were found in the treated breast cancer cell line compared with the normal cell line. Annexin-V/PI assay also illustrated significant induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 following nanocomposite treatment. Conclusion: Overall, 8HQ-coated GO has toxicity for breast cancer cell lines and one of the mechanisms through which this nanocomposite can induce cell death is the induction of apoptosis. With complementary in vitro and in vivo studies, this nanocomposite can be suggested as a nano-drug with anti-cancer properties.