ArticlePloS one2013
Thymoquinone inhibits tumor growth and induces apoptosis in a breast cancer xenograft mouse model: the role of p38 MAPK and ROS.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers.
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Who cites it
89 citing papers in PubMed.
- Tuning the Fire: Context-Dependent Mitochondrial ROS Signaling, Mitohormesis, and Redox-Modulating Interventions.Biomolecules · 2026Review
- Thymoquinone Protects Against Cardiac Hypertrophy via PPAR-γ/PI3K/Akt Pathway.Journal of cellular and molecular medicine · 2026Article
- Empowering of novel anti-tumor formulations with quinone-based active natural products.Biomaterials translational · 2026Review
- Styrene-maleic acid-thymoquinone nanomicelles preparation, and their in vitro and in vivo application in a model of TNBC.Therapeutic delivery · 2025Article
- Herbal Medicine in Breast Cancer Therapy: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Future Perspectives.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025Review
- Anti-Breast Cancer Effects of Thymoquinone-Chemotherapeutic Combinations: A Systematic Review of the LatestJournal of clinical medicine research · 2025Article
- Exploring potential additive effects of 5-fluorouracil, thymoquinone, and coenzyme Q10 triple therapy on colon cancer cells in relation to glycolysis and redox status modulation.Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute · 2025Article
- TQFL19, a Novel Derivative of Thymoquinone (TQ), Plays an Essential Role by Inhibiting Cell Growth, Metastasis, and Invasion in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Recent Prospectives of Cellular Signaling Role for Mammary Gland Carcinogenesis.Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry · 2025Review
- Impact of thymoquinone on the Nrf2/HO-1 and MAPK/NF-κB axis in mitigating 5-fluorouracil-induced acute kidney injuryFrontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- Article
- Chemopreventive Agents from Nature: A Review of Apigenin, Rosmarinic Acid, and Thymoquinone.Current issues in molecular biology · 2024Review
- Determination of anti-cancer effects of Nigella sativa seed oil on MCF7 breast and AGS gastric cancer cells.Molecular biology reports · 2024Article
- Computational and in vitro analyses on synergistic effects of paclitaxel and thymoquinone in suppressing invasive breast cancer cells.Molecular biology reports · 2024Article
- Fluoride-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Approaches for Its Intervention.Biological trace element research · 2024Review
- Combination of Thymoquinone and Intermittent Fasting as a Treatment for Breast Cancer Implanted in Mice.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Thymoquinone-loaded lipid nanocapsules with promising anticancer activity for colorectal cancer.Nanoscale advances · 2023Article
- Synergism Antiproliferative Effects of Apigenin and Naringenin in NSCLC Cells.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The Cytotoxic Effect of Thymoquinone Enhance on HepG2 Cell Line due to Induction of Fenton Reaction by Hydrogen Peroxide: An In Vitro and In Silico Study.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2023Article
- Implications of reactive oxygen species in lung cancer and exploiting it for therapeutic interventions.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2022Review
29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Due to narrow therapeutic window of cancer therapeutic agents and the development of resistance against these agents, there is a need to discover novel agents to treat breast cancer. The antitumor activities of thymoquinone (TQ), a compound isolated from Nigella sativa oil, were investigated in breast carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Cell responses after TQ treatment were assessed by using different assays including MTT assay, annexin V-propidium iodide staining, Mitosox staining and Western blot. The antitumor effect was studied by breast tumor xenograft mouse model, and the tumor tissues were examined by histology and immunohistochemistry. The level of anti-oxidant enzymes/molecules in mouse liver tissues was measured by commercial kits. Here, we show that TQ induced p38 phosphorylation and ROS production in breast cancer cells. These inductions were found to be responsible for TQ's anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects. Moreover, TQ-induced ROS production regulated p38 phosphorylation but not vice versa. TQ treatment was found to suppress the tumor growth and this effect was further enhanced by combination with doxorubicin. TQ also inhibited the protein expression of anti-apoptotic genes, such as XIAP, survivin, Bcl-xL and Bcl-2, in breast cancer cells and breast tumor xenograft. Reduced Ki67 and increased TUNEL staining were observed in TQ-treated tumors. TQ was also found to increase the level of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione in mouse liver tissues. Overall, our results demonstrated that the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of TQ in breast cancer are mediated through p38 phosphorylation via ROS generation.
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