Evaluation of the antitumor and antiproliferative effects of the INKKI peptide on MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells

Abstract

In this study we investigated the in vitro effect of the INKKI peptide in breast tumor cell lines and normal cells. The evaluation assessed the cytotoxicity activity effects, cell viability, mitochondrial electrical potential changing, effects on progression and cell cycle arrest and apoptosis markers involved. The results showed that the peptide INKKI features selective dose-dependent cytotoxicity in tumor cells, negatively modulating the mitochondrial electrical potential. The cell proliferation rate of the treated cells decreased, with cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. The peptide also able to induce apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway, which occurred independently of caspase 3 active. The INKKI peptide showed to be a potent modulator of antiproliferative and antitumor activities of the adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7 human breast.