Abstract: Objective: To observe the effect of carotenoid on gap junctional intercellular communication of human breast cancer cell of MDA-MB-435S and MCF-7. Methods: The breast cancer cell MDA-MB-435S and MCF-7 were cultured with carotenoids relatively in vitro, and the gap junctional intercellular communication of breast cancer cell was determined by scrape-loading and dye transfer assay. Results: β-carotene, astaxanthin and lycopene could enhance the gap junctional intercellular communication of breast cancer cell MDA-MB-435S, but canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin and zeaxanthin dipalmitate have little effects on it.β-carotene, astaxanthin and canthaxanthin could enhance the gap junctional intercellular communication of MCF-7, but lycopene, zeaxanthin and zeaxanthin dipalmitate have little effects on it.

Key words: carotenoids, human breast cancer cells, gap junctional intercellular communication