A16

The concept External Qi of Qigong refers to the technology and ability of the “Qi deployment” therapy and health preservation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). External Qi therapy of TCM has long been one of the medical practices and under the management of the health authorities in China. Studies have shown substantial beneficial effects of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ) that originated from TCM on disease management, weight control, and optimizing caloric intake and diet habit. The external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ-EQ) has previously been shown to have potent antioxidative properties. In the present study we have investigated the effect of YXQ-EQ on the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway that is crucial for tumor growth and progression in estrogen-independent breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. YXQ-EQ significantly inhibited constitutive and EGF-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Furthermore, YXQ-EQ substantially inhibited constitutive NF-κB activity and downregulated the expression of NF-κB target genes Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, XIAP and survivin. YXQ-EQ treatment caused a dramatic reduction in the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells, accompanied by DNA fragmentation, cleavage of PARP, and activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. These findings suggest that YXQ-EQ might induce apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells through inactivation of Akt/NF-κB signaling. YXQ-EQ could potentially be a novel approach for breast cancer prevention and therapy.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A16.

Seventh AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research-- Nov 16-19, 2008; Washington, DC