Differential expression of genes induced by resveratrol in human breast cancer cell lines.

The phytoalexin, trans-resveratrol (RES), is a polyphenolic compound found in plants and fruits that seems to have a wide spectrum of biological activities. It has been found to possess cancer chemopreventive effects by inhibiting diverse cellular events associated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. RES is also a phytoestrogen, which binds to and activates estrogen receptors (ERs) that regulate the transcription of estrogen-responsive target genes. We used two human breast tumor cell lines (MCF7 and MBA-MB-231) and one fibrocystic breast cell line (MCF10a) to examine whether RES altered mRNA expression of genes that are involved in biological pathway frequently altered during carcinogenesis. Two GEarray systems were used to screen the differentially expressed genes between RES-treated cells and control cells. The differentially expressed genes were analyzed further by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Here, we demonstrate that RES regulates mRNA expression of several genes involved in cell cycle control, apoptosis, metastasis, cell-cell adhesion, and ER signaling pathway. This effect of RES on the gene expression appears in correlation with chemoprevention activities of RES described previously. RES is also found to be more active in ER+ than ER- cells.