Open Access Research

Cyanidin-3-Glucoside inhibits ethanol-induced invasion of breast cancer cells overexpressing ErbB2

Mei Xu1, Kimberly A Bower1, Siying Wang1,2, Jacqueline A Frank1, Gang Chen1, Min Ding3, Shiow Wang4, Xianglin Shi5, Zunji Ke6 and Jia Luo1*

Author Affiliations

1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA

2 Pathophysiological Department, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China 230032

3 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA

4 Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA

5 Graduate Center for Toxicology, University of Kentucky, 232 Health Sciences Research Building, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA

6 Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China 200031

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Molecular Cancer 2010, 9:285 doi:10.1186/1476-4598-9-285

Published: 29 October 2010

Abstract

Background

Ethanol is a tumor promoter. Both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that ethanol may enhance the metastasis of breast cancer cells. We have previously demonstrated that ethanol increased the migration/invasion of breast cancer cells expressing high levels of ErbB2. Amplification of ErbB2 is found in 20-30% of breast cancer patients and is associated with poor prognosis. We sought to identify agents that can prevent or ameliorate ethanol-induced invasion of breast cancer cells. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), an anthocyanin present in many vegetables and fruits, is a potent natural antioxidant. Ethanol exposure causes the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study evaluated the effect of C3G on ethanol-induced breast cancer cell migration/invasion.

Results

C3G attenuated ethanol-induced migration/invasion of breast cancer cells expressing high levels of ErbB2 (BT474, MDA-MB231 and MCF7ErbB2) in a concentration dependent manner. C3G decreased ethanol-mediated cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as the amount of focal adhesions and the formation of lamellipodial protrusion. It inhibited ethanol-stimulated phosphorylation of ErbB2, cSrc, FAK and p130Cas, as well as interactions among these proteins. C3G abolished ethanol-mediated p130Cas/JNK interaction.

Conclusions

C3G blocks ethanol-induced activation of the ErbB2/cSrc/FAK pathway which is necessary for cell migration/invasion. C3G may be beneficial in preventing/reducing ethanol-induced breast cancer metastasis.