Berberine is one of the main alkaloids and it has been proved to have different pharmacologic effects, including prevention of cell cycle and also progression of apoptosis in various cancerous cells; however, its effects on cancer metastasis are not well known. Cancer cells acquire the ability to change their chemokine system and convert in to metastatic cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of berberine on breast cancer cell migration and its probable interaction with the chemokine system in cancer cells. Methods: The MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was cultured, and then treated with berberine at different concentrations of 10, 20, 40 and 80 μg/ml for 24 hours. MTT assay was applied in order to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of berberine on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Wound healing assay was used to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of berberine on cell migration. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR analysis of selected chemokine receptors was performed to determine the probable molecular mechanism mediating the effect of berberine on breast cancer cell migration. Results: MTT assay showed a retarded growth associated with increasing concentrations of berberine. The results of wound healing assay revealed that berberine reduces cell migration. Moreover, we found that the mRNA levels of some chemokine receptors were reduced after berberine treatment, and this may be the underlying mechanism for decreased cell migration. Conclusion: Our results indicate that berberine may be a potential preventive biofactor for human breast cancer metastasis by targeting chemokine receptor genes.

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