Figure 6

DHPMs potently repress breast tumor cell proliferation, induce apoptosis and modulate the CSC phenotype. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells control or cells treated with 4 m (1.0 mM), 4bt (dimethylenastron 0.8 mM), 4p (0.4 mM), 4bc (1.0 mM), 4x (0.8 mM) and monastrol (1 mM) were analyzed by flow cytometry to assess: the type of cell death caused by treatment for 72 h by staining cells with Annexin-V and PI (A); the ability to inhibit cell proliferation after 72 h of DHPM exposure, using CellTrace™ CFSE (B); the cell cycle profile after 48 h of treatment by staining the DNA content with PI (C); and the CSC population after 24 h of treatment, evaluating the CD44 and CD24 expression (D). Columns, mean of cells; bars, SEM, *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. All analyzes were performed in three independent experiments.