Korean red ginseng induces extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and MCF-10A non-malignant breast cells

Background Among non-hormonal treatments, herbal products are frequently used by women. Korean red ginseng (KRG) is one of the popular herbal medicines. KRG could be one option for relieving menopausal symptoms. However, there are still concerns about the safety for long-term use. In order to be used for alleviating menopausal symptoms, the safety of KRG on breast must be ensured. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of KRG on breast cells. Methods MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells were treated with different concentrations of KRG extracts for 48 h. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and apoptosis by flow cytometry. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was determined by western blot analysis and estrogen receptor (ER) affinity by ER binding assay. Results KRG extract inhibited growth and induced apoptosis of both MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells in dose-dependent manner. KRG extract increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins BAX, BAK, and BAD and decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in both cells. The expressions of Fas and FasL were increased in lower doses, but decreased in higher doses in both cells. Activities of caspase-3, -8 and -9 increased in MCF-10A, while caspase-8 and -9 showed increase in MCF-7. Competition of KRG to E-2 was significant in MCF-7 as KRG dose increased, whereas ER binding was hardly shown in MCF-10. Conclusion KRG induced apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic pathway in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and MCF-10A non-malignant cells. KRG may be safely used with regard to breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women to reduce the vasomotor symptoms.