Effects of Vitamins E and D on Mechanical Properties of Breast Cancerous Cells

Background: Several investigations have demonstrated that vitamins can treat or prevent cancer by altering actin filaments and inhibiting cell migration and proliferation. Vitamins D and E are fat-soluble. This research aims to determine the short-term impact of vitamin D and E on the mechanical properties of breast cancer cells before comparing them with normal breast cells. Methods: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to examine the deformation of MCF-10 normal breast cells, MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with 0.03 μM vitamin D and 16 μM vitamin E solutions. Young's modulus was calculated employing the Hertz model to determine cell stiffness. Results: The Young's modulus of vitamin D-treated cancer cells (585.8 Pa) was substantially similar to that of normal cells (455.6 Pa). Nevertheless, vitamin E treatment did not affect Young's modulus of cancer cells, which remained remarkably similar to that of untreated cancer cells (216.6 and 203.4 Pa, respectively). Conclusion: Unlike vitamin E, vitamin D enhances the stiffness of tumor cells and makes their mechanical properties similar to normal cells by interfering with actin filaments and cell skeletons, which may inhibit tumor cell migration. Based on these findings, vitamin D appears to be an effective drug for cancer treatment.