Antiproliferative activity of monastrol in human adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and non-tumor (HB4a) breast cells

Monastrol is an allosteric inhibitor of the mitotic Kinesin Eg5 that exhibits an antiproliferative effect against several cell lines. We investigated the antiproliferative effect of monastrol on human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and mammary epithelial cells (HB4a, non-tumoral). Monastrol treatment decreased cell viability only in MCF-7 tumor cells. Real-time cell growth kinetic analysis showed a decrease in the proliferation of MCF-7 cells exposed to monastrol, while in the HB4a cells, only a concentration of 100 μM was able to induce this effect. In a cell cycle analysis, exposure of MCF-7 cells to monastrol led to an increased population of cells in both the G1 and G2/M phases. In HB4a cells, the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase was increased. Monastrol led to an increased mitotic index in both cell lines. Monastrol was not able to induce cell death by Apoptosis in any of the cell lines studied. Gene expression analysis was performed to measure the mRNA levels of cell cycle genes, DNA damage indicator gene, and apoptotic related genes. Treatment with monastrol induced in MCF-7 cells a 5-fold increase in the mRNA levels of the CDKN1A gene, an inhibitor of CDKs related with cell cycle arrest in response a stress stimulus, and a 2-fold decrease in CDKN1C mRNA levels in HB4a cells. These results provide evidence that monastrol has a greater antiproliferative effect on MCF-7 tumor cells compared with non-tumor HB4a cells; however, no selective is observed.