Oxidative Stress in Caffeine Action on the Proliferation and Death of Human Breast Cancer Cells MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231

Abstract

To investigate the effects of caffeine on the proliferation and death of human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Cells were exposed to 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mM of caffeine during 24 h, and oxidative stress (OS), cell proliferation and death, metabolic activity and DNA lesions were evaluated in the collected samples. Caffeine was cytotoxic to the cell lines analyzed, reducing cell proliferation and viability by interfering with the cellular metabolism and with lysosomal function. Although the cells presented different behaviors to treatment, in both cell lines, the drug induced OS and predominantly apoptosis. MCF-7 cells responded to OS induction (lipid peroxidation) increasing their antioxidant defenses. However, the OS generated induced oxidative DNA lesions, a finding not observed in MDA-MB-231 cells. The association of different scavengers with caffeine did not result in the recovery of cell viability, which suggests that it is not possible to attribute the caffeine induction of OS to only one of the specific ROS analyzed (superoxide anion, singlet oxygen and peroxyl radical). These results are promising and suggest that caffeine may be a good target for studies to prove its usefulness as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment.

Author Contribution Statement

KLM conducted the experiments, analyzed the data and wrote the article. PCM, TNXS and CFNS conducted the experiments and analyzed the data. RCL and RC analyzed the data and wrote the article. ALC formulated the research question, designed the study and wrote the article.

Declaration of Interest Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and Araucaria Foundation under grant (grant no. 973/2013).