Control of Breast Tumor Cell Growth by Dietary Indoles
Abstract
Introduction: Indole-3-carbinol (13C) is a naturally occurring component of dietary vegetables and a promising cancer preventive agent, most notably against breast cancer. I3C markedly reduces the incidence of spontaneous and carcinogen-induced mammary tumors in rodents and exhibits potent growth inhibitory activity in human breast cancer cells. Although I3C has reached the stage of phase I clinical trials, little is known about the mechanism of its growth inhibitory effects in cancer cells. The purpose of this work is to establish the mechanism of action and to exploit the cancer preventive properties of I3C and related compounds. 13C is active in several key anticancer-related bioassays. Rodents exposed to high doses of I3C via oral intubation or diet exhibited increases in the activities of a variety of cytochrome P-450- dependent activities including hepatic ethoxyresorufin 0-deethylase (EROD) and related activities (1,2). I3C reduced BP-induced neoplasia of the forestomach (3) and total covalent binding of BP and N-nitrosodimethylamine to hepatic DNA in mice (4,5,6). In trout, I3C reduced AFB 1-induced hepatocarcinogenesis when administered prior to and during carcinogen treatment (7). In a recent screen of 90 potential chemopreventive agents in a series of 6 short term bioassays relevant to carcinogen-induced DNA damage, tumor initiation and promotion, and oxidative stress, I3C was found to be one of only 8 compounds that tested positive in all assays. The authors of this study opined that I3C was highly promising for development as a cancer chemopreventive agent (8).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADB240497
Entities
People
- Leonard Bjeldanes
Organizations
- University of California, Berkeley