Investigation of the Effect of Calcitriol on Radiofrequency Radiation-Exposed Breast Cancer Cell Lines
4 affiliations
- 1Gazi University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biochemistry, Ankara, Türkiye
- 2University of Health Sciences Gülhane, Institute of Stem Cell Lab, Ankara, Türkiye
- 3University of Health Sciences Gülhane, Institute of Health Sciences, Molecular Laboratory, Ankara, Türkiye
- 4Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biophysics, Ankara, Türkiye
Abstract
Objectives: Radiofrequency (RF) fields have been classified as probable human carcinogens and nonthermal. RF radiation can increase oxidative stress and inflammation in tissues. Vitamin D has been studied for many years for its anti-cancer properties and its ability to suppress cancer cell growth. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of RF exposure on cell viability, free radical formation, and inflammation, as well as the therapeutic effect of vitamin D against such effects. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to 2.1-GHz W-CDMA-modulated RF radiation.
Materials and Methods: The MTT was used for cell viability, and the FITC-conjugated annexin-V/PI was applied for apoptosis. The vitamin D receptor (VDR), NF-κB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and p53 gene expression levels were studied using real-time PCR. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis was performed using flow cytometry.
Results: A statistically significant decrease in MCF-7 cell viability (p < 0.001) was observed with increasing doses of calcitriol compared to the control group; no significant difference in MDA-MB-231 cell viability was observed (p > 0.05). ROS analysis revealed that calcitriol caused significant decreases in cell viability in both cell types. Both cell lines showed a statistically significant increase in p53 expression with increasing calcitriol doses. An increase in the expression of VDR, NF-κB B, and COX-2 was also observed in MCF-7 cells.
Conclusion: We observed that while calcitriol administered after RF exposure did not cause statistically significant changes in ROS levels, we observed that it caused an increase in messenger RNA expression of apoptosis and inflammation markers, which could be evaluated in cancer treatment or prevention.
Related
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- Investigation of the molecular mechanisms of action of sophorolipids in MCF-7 cells: therapeutic potential against breast cancer.
BibTeX
@article{salihoglu2026investigation,
title = {{Investigation of the Effect of Calcitriol on Radiofrequency Radiation-Exposed Breast Cancer Cell Lines}},
author = {Ece MİSER SALİHOĞLU and Mualla Pınar ELÇİ and Tuğba FATSA and Sema ÖREN and Meriç EŞMEKAYA and Sevgi YARDIM},
journal = {Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.4274/tjps.galenos.2026.65179},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4274/tjps.galenos.2026.65179},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Investigation of the Effect of Calcitriol on Radiofrequency Radiation-Exposed Breast Cancer Cell Lines
AU - Ece MİSER SALİHOĞLU
AU - Mualla Pınar ELÇİ
AU - Tuğba FATSA
AU - Sema ÖREN
AU - Meriç EŞMEKAYA
AU - Sevgi YARDIM
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
DO - 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2026.65179
UR - https://doi.org/10.4274/tjps.galenos.2026.65179
AB - Objectives: Radiofrequency (RF) fields have been classified as probable human carcinogens and nonthermal. RF radiation can increase oxidative stress and inflammation in tissues. Vitamin D has been studied for many years for its anti-cancer properties and its ability to suppress cancer cell growth. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of RF exposure on cell viability, free radical formation, and inflammation, as well as the therapeutic effect of vitamin D against such effects. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to 2.1-GHz W-CDMA-modulated RF radiation. Materials and Methods: The MTT was used for cell viability, and the FITC-conjugated annexin-V/PI was applied for apoptosis. The vitamin D receptor (VDR), NF-κB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and p53 gene expression levels were studied using real-time PCR. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis was performed using flow cytometry. Results: A statistically significant decrease in MCF-7 cell viability (p < 0.001) was observed with increasing doses of calcitriol compared to the control group; no significant difference in MDA-MB-231 cell viability was observed (p > 0.05). ROS analysis revealed that calcitriol caused significant decreases in cell viability in both cell types. Both cell lines showed a statistically significant increase in p53 expression with increasing calcitriol doses. An increase in the expression of VDR, NF-κB B, and COX-2 was also observed in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion: We observed that while calcitriol administered after RF exposure did not cause statistically significant changes in ROS levels, we observed that it caused an increase in messenger RNA expression of apoptosis and inflammation markers, which could be evaluated in cancer treatment or prevention.
SN - 1304-530X
SN - 2148-6247
ER -