The Effect of Metformin on the Expression of Caspase 3, 8, 9 and PARP-1 in Human Breast Cancer Cell Line T47D

Metformin is used a drug to lower blood sugar in patients with type II diabetes. Recent research showed that metformin effects on cancer cell growth. Studies show that metformin can induce apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines. In this study examined the effect of metformin on apoptosis in T47D breast cancer cell lines.
T47D breast cancer cell line selected and were purchased from the Pasteur Institute (Tehran - Iran). Cells at 24, 48 and 72 hours were treated by doses 5, 10, 50μM of metformin. The transcription levels of genes involved in apoptosis: Caspase 3 , 8, 9 and PARP-1 was evaluated by real time PCR.
The results of this study showed that at all three doses (5, 10, 50μM) of metformin and at three times (24, 48 and 72 h), the expression of Caspase 8 and Caspase 9 were increased. Also metformin at 48 and 72 hours in any given three doses increases the expression of PARP-1 but at 24 hours on the expression of PARP-1 is not effective.
The result indicates that in none of the three doses and times, metformin on expression of Caspase 3 is not effective. This study showed that metformin by increasing the transcription of genes Caspase 8 and Caspase 9 causes cell death through apoptosis.