cytellin and Carcinoma

It is suggested that dietary phytosterols, such as β-sitosterol (ST), have cancer chemopreventive effects; however, studies are limited to support such claims. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of ST on three different human cancer cell lines including skin epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells, lung epithelial carcinoma A549 cells and breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231.. Cell growth assay, cell cycle analysis, FACS, JC-1 staining, annexin V staining and immunoblotting were used to study the efficacy of ST on cancer cells.. ST (30-90 μM) treatments for 48 h and 72 h did not show any significant effect on cell growth and death in A431 cells. Whereas similar ST treatments moderately inhibited the growth of A549 cells by up to 13% (p ≤ 0.05) in 48 h and 14% (p ≤ 0.05-0.0001) in 72 h. In MDA-MB-231 cells, ST caused a significant dose-dependent cell growth inhibition by 31- 63% (p ≤ 0.0001) in 48 h and 40-50% (p ≤ 0.0001) in 72 h. While exploring the molecular changes associated with strong ST efficacy in breast cancer cells, we observed that ST induced cell cycle arrest as well as cell death. ST caused G0/G1 cell cycle arrest which was accompanied by a decrease in CDK4 and cyclin D1, and an increase in p21/Cip1and p27/Kip1 protein levels. Further, cell death effect of ST was associated with induction of apoptosis. ST also caused the depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio.. These results suggest prominent in vitro anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of ST in MDA-MB-231 cells. This study provides valuable insight into the chemopreventive efficacy and associated molecular alterations of ST in breast cancer cells whereas it had only moderate efficacy on lung cancer cells and did not show any considerable effect on skin cancer cells. These findings would form the basis for further studies to understand the mechanisms and assess the potential utility of ST as a cancer chemopreventive agent against breast cancer.

Topics: Apoptosis; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cyclin D1; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Sitosterols

Cocoa contains many different types of physiologically active components. It was shown that cocoa beans are rich in specific antioxidants such as flavonoids, catechins, epicatechins and proanthocyanidins. Additionally, beta-sitosterol, the most common phytosterol, may play a protective role in the development of cancer. The aim of this in-vitro study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of different cocoa polyphenols extracts, alone or combined with beta-sitosterol, on two human prostate cancer cell lines (nonmetastatic 22Rv1 cells and metastatic DU145 cells) and a normal human prostate cell line (RWEP-1). A synergy between beta-sitosterol and cocoa polyphenols extract was also researched. Cells were treated independently with five products from 1 to 72 h: (1/) synthetic beta-sitosterol, (2/) a cocoa polyphenols extract supplemented with beta-sitosterol, (3/) three different cocoa polyphenols extracts naturally containing beta-sitosterol. In the experiment, beta-sitosterol was tested from 10(-6) to 10(-3)%; cocoa polyphenols extract supplementation was with 0.72% beta-sitosterol; finally cocoa polyphenols extracts were added to the cells at very low concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 0.2%. The growth and viability of cells were measured using colorimetric assay at 1, 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment. IC50 and IC100 corresponding to the concentration leading to a decrease of 50% and 100% of cell growth were determined. At the highest tested concentration, cocoa polyphenols extracts induced a complete inhibition of growth of metastatic and nonmetastatic cancer cell lines. In addition, cocoa polyphenols extracts were more active against local cancer cells than against metastatic cells. Moreover, at the highest tested concentration, cocoa polyphenols extracts are not effective on a normal prostate cell lines. Beta-sitosterol induced low growth inhibition of both cancer cell line. Cocoa polyphenols extracts, however, were significantly more active and showed a strong and fast inhibition of cell growth than beta-sitosterol alone. No synergy or addition was observed when beta-sitosterol was tested together with the cocoa polyphenols extract. Our results show that cocoa polyphenols extracts have an antiproliferative effect on prostate cancer cell growth but not on normal cells, at the highest tested concentration.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cacao; Carcinoma; Cell Proliferation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flavonoids; Humans; Male; Phenols; Polyphenols; Prostate; Prostatic Neoplasms; Sitosterols; Time Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Tissue phytosterol and cholesterol levels in 10 benign and 8 malignant breast tumors were quantitated to reexamine the hypothesis that malignant tumors had distinctive phytosterol content. Phytosterols were present in 9 of 10 benign and 7 of 8 malignant breast tumors. Mean (+/- S.E.) cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol in malignant and benign tumors (microgram/g wet weight) did not significantly differ (p greater than 0.1): (formula: see text) In the malignant tumors, tissue cholesterol correlated with campesterol (r = 0.97) and beta-sitosterol (r = 0.97) (p less than 0.01), but not stigmasterol (r = -0.06). In benign tumors, tissue cholesterol correlated with campesterol (r = 0.43), stigmasterol (r = 0.64), and beta-sitosterol (r = 0.94), with p less than 0.01 for the latter two. Phytosterols were present in four samples of normal breast tissue with mean (+/- S.E.) campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol (2 +/- 0.8, 15 +/- 9, 7 +/- 5 microgram/g wet weight) slightly but not significantly lower than in benign and malignant breast tumors, p greater than 0.1. The comparability of tissue phytosterols in benign and malignant breast tumors and in normal breast tissue appears to render unlikely and putative etiological relationship between phytosterols and breast carcinoma.

Topics: Adenofibroma; Aorta; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Cholesterol; Female; Humans; Phytosterols; Sitosterols; Stigmasterol