preclinical study--Coenzyme Q may be cytotoxic to ER- her2+ breast cancer
 

SKBr3 is a her2+ ER- breast cancer cell line. MDA-MB-231 is a her2-ER- breast cancer cell line.

Anticancer Drugs. 2008 Sep 30. [Epub ahead of print]

Coenzyme Q0 induces apoptosis and modulates the cell cycle in estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells.

Somers-Edgar TJ, Rosengren RJ.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
We postulated that methoxy-substituted cyclic compounds could inhibit estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer growth in vitro. Therefore, this study assessed the cytotoxic potential of various methoxy-substituted cyclic compounds [7,8-dimethoxyflavone, 4-methoxyphenylacetic acid, 2-methoxyphenylacetic acid, 4-methoxybenzophenone, 5-methoxy-1-indanone, and coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0)] toward ER-negative human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and SKBr3). Cytotoxicity was assessed using the sulforhodamine B assay. CoQ0 demonstrated the strongest cytotoxicity toward MDA-MB-231 and SKBr3 cells with IC50 values of 1.7 mumol/l and 3.1 mumol/l, respectively, whereas the other compounds were either much less potent or completely lacked cytotoxicity toward both breast cancer cell lines. Therefore, only CoQ0 was examined for its ability to modulate cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis. Cell cycle experiments, using propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry, demonstrated that CoQ0 at 7.5 mumol/l increased the proportion of MDA-MB-231 cells in G1/G0-phase by 16.6+/-0.6% of control (P<0.05), and increased in the proportion of S-phase SKBr3 cells by 37.8+/-5.8% over control (P<0.05). Induction of apoptosis was determined using propidium iodide/Annexin-V-FLUOS staining followed by flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that treatment with CoQ0 (7.5 mumol/l) increased the proportion of apoptotic MDA-MB-231 and SKBr3 cells by 12-fold and 4-fold over control (P<0.05), respectively. Thus, CoQ0 is a potent cytotoxic drug that induces apoptosis and modulates cell cycle progression in ER-negative breast cancer cells. Therefore, CoQ0 is an appropriate candidate for further study and development as a potential drug for ER-negative breast cancer.
PMID: 18830129

Lani,

I always read you because you got so much info for us but I got lost on this one.

can anyone translate for me?

you mean that COq10 is good for ER -women?

thank you!!

maria

Maria you are drawing a conclusion regarding woman from a study on
 

breast cancer cell lines in a petri dish. That is why I titled the thread "preclinical study"--it is pointing the direction for further study in people--none has been done so far.

I have previously commented that a substance can cause one effect in a low concentration, and the opposite in a higher concentration. Similarly I have commented that different breast cancers with different molecular make-ups
react differently to different drugs/substances.

This article showed the results of using CoEnzyme Q on two breast cancer cell lines--one her2-ER- and one her2+ ER---in a Petri dish.

The results cannot yet be applied to humans and are not relevant to those already being treated with other medications/dietary supplements--whether those combine with additive, superadditive, or conflicting effects is not known yet.

Clinical trials with nonpharmaceutical company products are hard to come by--trials are expensive to run, and usually run by companies with considerable future profits in mind.

I posted this as I know many here have listed CoQ among the supplements they take. It cannot tell you whether or not adding CoQ to your regimen will have the desired effect, but at least it does not point towards its having an undesired effect.

Sorry to be so "hazy". but more is unknown than known.

PS the effect of CoQ on these two cell lines was to stop them from dividing and thus, the "tumor" from growing and to stimulate self-destruction of the affected cells--but again, this was done only for two ER=- lines, one her2- and one her2 +

thank you Lani. as always.

Yes I take this also among so many other supplements:)

Maria

....and I do not take it BUT being a er negative gal but her2 positive I think I just may go out to Walgreen's now and get some.

As always, thank you Lani.....your a wealth of information.

Mary Jo

I take CoQ 10 - started during Herceptin so my heart function would stay okay. However, my husband's cousin is a nuctrical saleman and when he found out I was diagnosed with bc, he emailed me to take CoQ 10 and Omega 3. I have taken both for years now.