Abstract :
Background: Herbal medicine is a new complementary strategy for treating diseases such as cancer. However, its mechanism of action is not clear yet. This study investigates antitumor efficacy of Polygonum avicular extract on MCF-7 cell line. Methods: MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations of (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300,350 400 ng/μl) Polygonum avicular at different time intervals (6, 12, 24, and 48 hrs). In order to evaluate the expression level of FasL and Bcl2 genes, RT-PCR technique was employed. Results: The obtained results demonstrate that expression of FasL gene was increased in Polygonum avicular treated cells in comparison to control group. Down-regulation of Bcl2 expression was observed during the treatment. Conclusion: Polygonum aviculare herbal extract may induce apoptosis through up-regulation of FasL and down-regulation of Bcl2 gene, however, its complete mechanism of action must be elucidated.
