en زیست شناسی سلولی Cell Biology مقالات اصلی Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Background: </em></strong>Studies have shown that zinc finger protein 703 (ZNF703) is overexpressed in breast cancer. <em>Levisticum (L.) officinale</em> is a herbal plant with proven medical characteristics in traditional medicine. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of <em>L. officinale</em> (HELO) on both estrogen receptor-positive (ER⁺) and -negative (ER^-) cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468, respectively).<br> <br> <strong><em>Methods:</em></strong> The anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities of HELO were investigated on both cell lines using MTT and flow-cytometry methods. Real-time PCR was employed to determinate the changes in mRNA expression of the <em>ZNF703</em> gene.<br> <br> <strong><em>Results:</em></strong> The 50% maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC_50s) of HELO on ER⁺ and ER^- cells were 200 and 150 &micro;g/mL after 48 h-treatment. Statistically significant increases in both early and late apoptosis rates were seen in exposed cell lines. <em>ZNF703</em> expression was less from 4 to 24 h HELO treatment than in untreated cells, and <em>ZNF703</em> expression was higher in the more invasive&nbsp;MDA-MB-468 cells than in the less invasive MCF-7 cells. Our results demonstrated that HELO induces apoptosis and decreases cell growth in both cell lines.<br> <br> <strong><em>Conclusions:</em></strong> Our data suggest that HELO alters the mRNA levels of <em>ZNF703 </em>gene while inducing apoptotic cell death in breast cancer-derived cell lines. The use of <em>ZNF703 </em>suppression can be considered as a beneficial target in breast cancer research.<br> &nbsp;</div> Apoptosis, and Proliferation, Breast cancer, Invasion, Zinc finger protein. 119 125 http://rbmb.net/browse.php?a_code=A-10-53-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fatemeh Mollashahee-Kohkan fatemeh64wowo@gmail.com 100319475328460017236 100319475328460017236 No Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. & Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Ramin Saravani saravaniramin@yahoo.com. 100319475328460017237 100319475328460017237 Yes Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. & Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Tahereh Khalili taherehkh2131@yahoo.com 100319475328460017238 100319475328460017238 No Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Hamidreza Galavi h.r_galavi2010@yahoo.com 100319475328460017239 100319475328460017239 No Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. & Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Saman Sargazi sgz.biomed@gmail.com 100319475328460017240 100319475328460017240 No Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.