Induction of medulloblastoma cell apoptosis by sulforaphane, a dietary anticarcinogen from Brassica vegetables.

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that a variety of natural substances derived from the diet may act as potent chemopreventive agents. In this work, we show that DAOY cells, a widely used model of metastatic medulloblastoma (MBL), are highly sensitive to sulforaphane, a naturally occurring isothiocyanate from Brassica vegetables. Sulforaphane induced DAOY cell death by apoptosis, as determined by DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation. DAOY apoptosis correlates with the induction of caspase-3 and -9 activities, resulting in the cleavage of PARP and vimentin. Both the cytotoxic effect and apoptotic characteristics induced by sulforaphane were reversed by zVAD-fmk, a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, demonstrating the important role of caspases in its cytotoxic effect. These results identify sulforaphane as a novel inducer of MBL cell apoptosis, supporting the potential clinical usefulness of diet-derived substances as chemopreventive agents.

• Authors: Denis Gingras, Martin Gendron, Dominique Boivin, Albert Moghrabi, Yves Théorêt, Richard Béliveau
• Journal: Cancer letters (Cancer Lett) Vol. 203 Issue 1 Pg. 35-43 (Jan 08 2004) ISSN: 0304-3835 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 14670615 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anticarcinogenic Agents
• Isothiocyanates
• Proteins
• Sulfoxides
• Thiocyanates
• Vimentin
• CASP3 protein, human
• CASP9 protein, human
• Caspase 3
• Caspase 9
• Caspases
• sulforaphane

Topics

• Animals
• Anticarcinogenic Agents (pharmacology)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Caspase 3
• Caspase 9
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cattle
• DNA Fragmentation
• HL-60 Cells
• Humans
• Isothiocyanates
• Medulloblastoma (enzymology, prevention & control)
• Neoplasm Metastasis (prevention & control)
• Proteins (metabolism)
• Sulfoxides
• Thiocyanates (pharmacology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured
• Vegetables (chemistry)
• Vimentin (metabolism)