[Effect of recombinant super-compound interferon (rSIFN-co) on human breast cancer cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-cancer activities of recombinant super-compound interferon (rSIFN-co) against human breast cancer cells, its cooperative anti-tumor effect with chemotherapy and the possible mechanism of these effects. METHODS: The rSIFN-co, infergen, epirubicin were applied separately or combined in cultured human breast cancer cells MCF-7 and adriamycin-resistant strains of MCF-7/ADR cells. MTT assays and flow cytometry were applied to determine the growth inhibition and cell apoptosis index (AI) of MCF-7 and MCF-7/ ADR after different treatment. Immunohistochemical was used to detect the expression of P53, Bcl-2, CerbB-2 in treated MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells. RESULTS: The rSIFN-co demonstrated a efficiency of inhibiting the cell proliferation, induce apoptosis of both MCF-7 cells and MCF-7/ADR cells, which was stronger than that of infergen in the same concentration; rSIFN-co combined with epirubicin has a synergistic action in inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis of both type of breast cancer cells; rSIFN-co can also decrease the expression level of P53 and CerbB-2, increase the expression of Bcl-2 in both cell lines. CONCLUSION: In vitro conditions, rSIFN-co can inhibit cell growth of human breast cancer cell MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR, which may attribute to influence the proliferation-associated factor expression, and induce apoptosis of cancer cells.