Activation of Several Concurrent Proapoptic Pathways by Sulforaphane in Human Colon Cancer Cells SW620

Activation of several concurrent proapoptic pathways by sulforaphane in human colon cancer cells SW620.

Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Sep;47(9):2366-73. Epub 2009 Jun 27.

Rudolf E, Andelová H, Cervinka M.

Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Simkova 870, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.

Despite the reported cytotoxicity and apoptosis-inducing properties of sulforaphane (SF) in colon cancer cells, the details concerning individual mechanisms and signaling cascades underlying SF-mediated apoptosis remain unclear. To understand different aspects of SF-induced proapoptic signaling in advanced colon carcinoma, we investigated its mechanisms in metastatic SW620 cell line. Our results indicate that in SW620 cells SF acts to induce multivariate cascades including DNA-damage response pathway whose proapoptotic signaling is nevertheless reduced owing to the mutant status of p53 and caspase-2-JNK pathway which seems to complement and enhance p53-dependent signaling, however only in wild-type p53. Furthermore, both pathways require the active role of mitochondria and do not depend on generation of ROS, making sulforaphane an attractive chemopreventive agent whose antitumor properties should be further investigated in colon cancer.

 

Note from ISS:  Several crucifer sprouts including broccoli sprouts are currently the most potent natural source of sulforaphane known.  They often produce 10 to 100 times the amount of sulforaphane as their corresponding mature vegetables.

“Broccoli sprouts have a very high concentration of sulforaphane since this compound originates in the seed and is not made in the plant as it grows. One sprout contains all of the sulforaphane that is present in a full grown broccoli plant.” 

“Nutrition and cancer: a review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet” Nutr J. 2004 Oct 20;3:19, Donaldson MS. Hallelujah Acres Foundation, 13553 Vantage Hwy, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA.