Figure 6

A cartoon to summarize butein effect on breast cancer cells. Butein reduces intracellular ROS level, which inhibits AKT phosphorylation. Butein inhibition of ROS production and AKT phosphorylation results in the suppression of breast cancer growth. While breast cancer cells tested here are sensitive to butein, luminal HER2⁺ SKBR-3 and HCC-1419 and HCC-2218 cells are resistant to butein. This resistant phenotype may be related with basal ROS level.