Effect of Acorus calamus and Apium graveolens extracts on Egfr and Erbb2 in LNCaP cells

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men of developed Western countries. Several treatments are available for treatment of prostate cancer. These include surgery, radiation, radioactive implants and hormonal therapy. However, the treatment often impacts the quality of life due to side‑effects or complications. Thus, numerous investigators have focused on discovering novel drugs or treatments. Among all the agents tested, natural products derived from medicinal plants are among the most favorable. Migration and invasion of cancer cells is regulated by multiple pathways that employ various growth factor and their receptors, integrins and cytoskeletal elements. A key role is played by the EGF receptor (EGFR), which, following interaction with the integrin a6b4, promotes cell migration through activation of PI3K and other downstream pathways. The androgen receptor can be activated indirectly by growth factor receptors, mainly the transmembrane tyrosine kinases EGFR and ERBB2, members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family, which are activated inappropriately in many human cancer types. It has been reported that the EGF receptors EGFR (HER­1) and ERBB2 (HER­2 / neu) are overexpressed in metastatic prostate tumors. In this study, we investigated the effect of A. Calamus and A. Graveolens extracts on Egfr and Erbb2 on the human prostatic carcinoma cell line LNCaP. LNCaP cells were treated with increasing concentrations of an ethanolic extract of A. graveolens ranging from 1000 to 3000 µg/ml, A. Calamus 250 to 750 µg/ml and viability was determined after 24 and 48 h using the XTT cell proliferation assay. The levels of EGFR and ERBB2 were analyzed. Finally, quantitative gene expression analysis of EGFR and ERBB2, was performed using real­time reverse transcription– polymerase chain reaction. As a result, we observed that A. calamus and A. graveolens extracts affected EGFR and ERBB2 levels in LNCaP cells