EFFECTS OF 2’NITROFLAVONE ON THE EGF SIGNALING PATHWAY AND CELL PROLIFERATION IN BREAST CANCER CELLS

JULIETA R CEBRÓN; MARIANA A BOJORGE; MARIEL MARDER; JOHANNA G MIQUET; LORENA GONZÁLEZ

Mar del Plata

Congreso; REUNIÓN CONJUNTA SAIC SAI&FAIC SAFIS 2022; 2022

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a tyrosine kinase receptorassociated with tumorigenesis of several tissues and has beenproposed to be involved in the molecular mechanism of action offlavonoids. For that reason, flavonoids are proposed to be combinedwith drugs that target this receptor. 2’nitroflavone (2’NF) is a syntheticflavone obtained in our institute that has previously demonstratedto produce apoptosis in breast cancer cells and affect the expressionof receptors related to EGFR activity. With the aim of investigatingif a combinatory therapy involving 2’NF and EGFR inhibitorswould be a possible effective treatment for breast cancer, the presentstudy analyzes if this flavone modulates the EGF signaling pathwayand cell proliferation activity. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breastcancer cells were treated with 2NF at a concentration of 20 μM and10 μM respectively or vehicle for 1 and 48 h. Afterward, cells werestimulated with EGF (25 ng/ml) for 10 min. The protein content andphosphorylation at activating residues of EGFR, Akt and Erk wereassessed by immunoblotting. Besides, the effect on cell proliferationwas determined by hexosaminidase assay. For this determinationMDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were seeded and treated with 2’NF(20 μM and 10 μM respectively) or vehicle and EGF (25 ng/ml) for48 h. Results showed a reduction in EGFR phosphorylation inducedby EGF after 48 h of treatment with 2’NF in both cell lines (p