The Activity of Sirtuin 1 in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line: The Effects of Visfatin

Background & Objectives: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Obesity, hormones, and growth factors are the risk factors for this kind of cancer. One of the changes observed in patients suffering from breast cancer is the elevated Visfatin or nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) in their tumor tissues and blood. The increased activity of Visfatin and SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1) in breast cancer and many other cancers has been determined, and its value is correlated with cancer prognosis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of Visfatin on SIRT1 activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Materials & Methods: In this study, in order to investigate the effects of Visfatin on SIRT1 activity in MCF-7 cells, cells were treated after cell culture by Visfatin for 12, 24, and 48 hours. Subsequently, the cells were lysed by nuclear extraction kit, and their total protein concentrations were measured by Bradford assay. Finally, we estimated the general activity of SIRT1 by measuring the SIRT1 activity with the assay kit via spectrofluorometric device. Results: The findings of this research show that SIRT1 activity is not significantly changed following Visfatin treatments for 12 and 24 hours. However, after 48 hour, Visfatin increases SIRT1 activity about 2 times more than control group. Conclusion: The antiapoptotic effects of Visfatin are exerted by increasing SIRT1 activity in MCF-7 cells, and these effects happen after 24 hours.