Anticancer Action of Silver Nanoparticles in SKBR3 Breast Cancer Cells through Promotion of Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known as one of the highly utilized NPs owing to their unique characteristics in the field of cancer research. The goal of this research was to explore the oxidative stress, apoptosis, and angiogenesis in SKBR3 breast cancer cells after exposure to AgNPs. The survival rate of SKBR3 cancer cells and MCF-10A normal breast cells was assessed under the effects of different concentrations (0, 32, 64, 128, and 250 μg/ml) by MTT method. The oxidative condition was assessed by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, GPx, and CAT) using colorimetric-based kits. Flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining were performed to investigate the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caspase 3 and 7 activity was measured. The cell migration and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) gene expression, protein kinase B (AKT), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) were also studied. The MTT results indicated that AgNPs inhibit the SKBR3 cells’ viability in a concentration-dependent way. Besides, AgNPs markedly induced oxidative stress via increasing TOS content, MDA production, reduction of TAC, and regulation of antioxidant enzyme level. Additionally, AgNPs promoted apoptosis as revealed by an enhancement in Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio. Findings also indicated that AgNPs suppress the expression of genes (VEGF-A, AKT, and PI3K) involved in angiogenesis. Altogether, our data revealed that AgNPs initiate oxidative stress and apoptosis in SKBR3 breast cancer cells, dose dependently.