ArticleGenetics and molecular biology2024
Uncovering a novel mechanism: Butyrate induces estrogen receptor alpha activation independent of estrogen stimulation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
Article in Genetics and molecular biology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Unravelling novel microbial players in the breast tissue of TNBC patients: a meta-analytic perspective.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025Pooled it
- Myometrial Microbiome in Uterine Fibroids: Functional Dysbiosis Versus Limited Taxonomic Change.Biology · 2026Article
- Identification of molecular subtypes for breast cancer based on butyrate metabolism-related genes to assess prognosis and immune landscape.Translational cancer research · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Butyrate is a promising candidate for an antitumoral drug, as it promotes cancer cell apoptosis and reduces hormone receptor activity, while promoting differentiation and proliferation in normal cells. However, the effects of low-dose butyrate on breast cancer cell cultures are unclear. We explored the impact of sub-therapeutic doses of butyrate on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) transcriptional activity in MCF-7 cells, using RT-qPCR, Western blot, wound-healing assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Our results showed that sub-therapeutic doses of sodium butyrate (0.1 - 0.2 mM) increased the transcription of ESR1, TFF1, and CSTD genes, but did not affect ERα protein levels. Moreover, we observed an increase in cell migration in wound-healing assays. ChIP assays revealed that treatment with 0.1 mM of sodium butyrate resulted in estrogen-independent recruitment of ERα at the pS2 promoter and loss of NCoR. Appropriate therapeutic dosage of butyrate is essential to avoid potential adverse effects on patients' health, especially in the case of estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Sub-therapeutic doses of butyrate may induce undesirable cell processes, such as migration due to low-dose butyrate-mediated ERα activation. These findings shed light on the complex effects of butyrate in breast cancer and provide insights for research in the development of antitumoral drugs.
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Registered trials
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