TY - JOUR AB - Breast cancer accounts for 22.9% of all types of cancer in females worldwide. Safflower polysaccharide (SPS) is an active fraction purified from safflower petals (Carthamus tinctorius L). The present study investigated the effects of safflower polysaccharide on the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Cell viability was analyzed using an MTT assay following treatment of the MCF‑7 cells with increasing concentrations of SPS. The results demonstrated that the SPS compound significantly inhibited the proliferation of the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell line and these inhibitory effects increased in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of SPS on breast cancer cells, following treatment for 72 h, was detected using an MTT assay and was calculated as 0.12 mg/ml. The apoptotic rate was detected using flow cytometry in the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell line and the results revealed that SPS induced cell apoptosis. The apoptotic rate of the MCF‑7 cells treated with SPS was significantly higher compared with that of the untreated cells and increased in a dose‑dependent manner. The expression of B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2) was downregulated and the expression of Bcl‑2‑associated X protein was upregulated in the MCF‑7 cells treated with SPS in a time‑dependent manner. Additionally, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase‑9 was significantly reduced and the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‑1 was increased in the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell treated with SPS. These results demonstrated that SPS inhibited the metastasis of MCF‑7 breast cancer cells and understanding the underlying mechanisms may provide novel strategies in breast cancer therapy. AD - Department of Oncology, Cancer Center of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guandong 510315, P.R. China Department of Chemotherapy, Ganzhou Cancer Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China Department of Breast Surgery, Ganzhou Cancer Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China AU - Luo,Zhongbing AU - Zeng,Hongxie AU - Ye,Yongqiang AU - Liu,Lianbin AU - Li,Shaojin AU - Zhang,Junyi AU - Luo,Rongcheng DA - 2015/06/01 DO - 10.3892/mmr.2015.3310 EP - 4616 IS - 6 JO - Mol Med Rep KW - breast cancer safflower polysaccharide apoptosis metastasis PY - 2015 SN - 1791-2997 1791-3004 SP - 4611 ST - Safflower polysaccharide inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of MCF-7 breast cancer cell T2 - Molecular Medicine Reports TI - Safflower polysaccharide inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of MCF-7 breast cancer cell UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2015.3310 VL - 11 ER -