Paeoniflorin inhibits proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells through suppressing Notch-1 signaling pathway.

Paeoniflorin (PF), one of the major active ingredients of Chinese peony, was reported to possess anti-tumor effect. However, the role of PF in breast cancer remains to be clarified. Therefore, in this context, the present study investigated the effects of PF on breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion, as well as the underlying mechanism. Our results found that PF suppressed the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells. We further demonstrated that PF down-regulated the expression of Notch-1; in addition, overexpression of Notch-1 reversed PF-inhibited proliferation and invasion, and knockdown of Notch-1 enhanced PF-inhibited proliferation and invasion in breast cancer cells. In conclusion, the present study suggests that PF inhibits proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells through suppressing Notch-1 signaling pathway. Therefore, PF may represent a chemopreventive and/or therapeutic agent in the prevention of breast cancer.