Objective: Silybin is a polyphenol with anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. The poor
bioavailability of some polyphenols can be improved by binding to phosphatidylcholine. In
recent years, studies have been conducted to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of silybin.
We studied the effect of silybin and silybin-phosphatidylcholine on ESR1 and ESR2 gene
expression and viability in the T47D breast cancer cell line.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, a 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-
Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide test (MTT test) was used to determine doses for cell treatment,
and the gene expression was analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase
chain reaction (real-time RT- PCR).
Results: Significant dose- and time-dependent cell growth inhibitory effects of silybin and
silybin-phosphatidylcholine along with ESR1 down-regulation were observed in T47D
cells. In contrast to ESR1, the T47D cell line showed negligible ESR2 expression.
Conclusion: This study suggests that silybin and silybin-phosphatidylcholine down-regulate
ESR1 in ER+ breast cancers. Results also show that in the T47D cell line, silybinphosphatidylcholine
has a much higher growth inhibitory effect and a more significant
down-regulation of ESR1 compared with silybin