 | Stephanie L. Chambers Rutgers UniversityMentor(s)A.N. Tony Kong, Ph.D. and Ms. Rong Hu Department of Pharmaceutics Rutgers University |
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| "Effects of vegetable flavonoids and coffee diterpenes on human prostate cancer." | ||
| Phase II detoxifying enzymes protect cells by deactivating products of phase I metabolism such as xenobiotics and carcinogens. Several dietary compounds have exhibited chemopreventive properties by inducing phase II enzymes and signaling apoptosis (programmed cell death). Various vegetable flavonoids and isothiocyanates (i.e., apigenin, genistein, quercetin, and sulforaphane) and the coffee components-cafestol and kahweol have been shown to induce phase II gene expression in human prostate cancer PC3 cells, stably transfected with the antioxidant response element (ARE) luciferase reporter system. These flavonoids and coffee diterpenes may induce apoptosis in the PC3 cells, potentially via the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 are some of the MAPKs that can mediate apoptosis. The MAPK signaling pathway, which might be involved in regulation of gene expression and apoptotic response was examined using Western blotting correlated with the ARE reporter activity. Masson's trichromic (MTS) assay was use to measure cell viability, along with a luciferase activity assay. Our results show that significant induction (increased expression of the gene) of the ARE luciferase reporter system occurred in cells treated with sulforaphane at a concentration of 20 mM, quercetin at 500 mM, and apigenin at 5 mM. Further research will aid in the identification of more effective chemopreventive agents, and understanding their cancer chemopreventive mechanisms. |