Sunday 20 July 2014

Phytochemical Indole-3-carbinol and pancreatic cancer

By Kyle J. Norton

Indole-3-carbinol is a phytochemical in the class of Indoles, by the breaking down of the glucosinolate glucobrassicin,  found abundantly in cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, mustard greens, broccoli, etc.

Cancer of pancreas or pancreatic cancer is defined as condition of a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas, as the cells have become cancerous and divided uncontrollably. Most pancreatic cancers start in the ducts (exocrine component of the pancreas) carried pancreatic juices with cancer of an epithelium that originates in glandular tissue accounts for over 75 - 90% of all cases of exocrine cancers.
I3C would be effective for enhancing sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine via down-regulation of miR-21, according to the Seoul National University College of Medicine(1). Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) also showed to lower the LD(50) of gemcitabine (Gemzar) in decreasing growth of both male (MiaPaca2) and female (SU86.86) pancreatic cancer cells, according to 1FDA/National Center for Toxicological Research(2). In pancreatic cell lines, the phytochemical showed to induced gemcitabine cytotoxicity, through up-regulation of hENT1 expression involved in the additive effect of I3C and gemcitabine(3).
References
(1) Chemosensitivity induced by down-regulation of microRNA-21 in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by indole-3-carbinol by Paik WH1, Kim HR, Park JK, Song BJ, Lee SH, Hwang JH.(PubMed)
(2) Gender differences in gemcitabine (Gemzar) efficacy in cancer cells: effect of indole-3-carbinol. by Lyn-Cook BD1, Mohammed SI, Davis C, Word B, Haefele A, Wang H, Hammons G.(PubMed)
(3) Enhanced efficacy of gemcitabine by indole-3-carbinol in pancreatic cell lines: the role of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 by Wang H1, Word BR, Lyn-Cook BD.(PubMed)

No comments:

Post a Comment