Fig. 1

Bergapten-regulates PTEN protein and mRNA levels in breast cancer cells. a Western blot analysis of PTEN, p-AKT and AKT in MCF-7 and ZR-75 breast cancer cells treated with vehicle (−) or Bg 20 μM or Bg 50 μM at different times as indicated. β-actin was used as loading control. Autoradiographs show the results of one representative experiment. Columns, are mean of three independent experiments in which band intensities were evaluated in terms of optical density arbitrary units and expressed as fold change over vehicle, which was assumed to be 1; bars, SD;* P < 0.05 vs 6 h vehicle. ^ P < 0.05 vs 10 h vehicle. ** P < 0.05 vs 16 h vehicle. b Western blot analysis of PTEN, p-AKT, AKT, p-mTOR and mTOR in MCF-7 cells transfected with non specific (NS) or targeted against PTEN siRNA treated with vehicle (−) or Bg 20 μM or Bg 50 μM for 16 h. Autoradiographs show the results of one representative experiment. Columns, are mean of three independent experiments in which band intensities were evaluated in terms of optical density arbitrary units and expressed as fold over vehicle, which was assumed to be 1; bars, SD;* P < 0.05 vs NS siRNA vehicle. ^ P < 0.05 vs NS siRNA Bg 20 μM. ** P < 0.05 vs NS siRNA Bg 50 μM. c Real-time PCR assay of PTEN mRNA expression in MCF-7 and ZR-75 cells treated with vehicle (−), Bg 20 μM, Bg 50 μM (left panel) and/or p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 (SB 10 μM) (right panel). 18S rRNA was determined as control. Columns are the mean of three independent experiments each in triplicate; bars, SD; *P < 0.05 vs vehicle treated cells. ** P < 0.05 vs Bg 20 μM