Celery, artichokes, and herbs, especially
Mexican oregano, all contain apigenin and
luteolin, flavonoids that kill human pancreatic
cancer cells in the lab by inhibiting an
important enzyme, according to two new
University of Illinois studies.
"Apigenin alone induced cell death in two
aggressive human pancreatic cancer cell lines.
But we received the best results when we pre-
treated cancer cells with apigenin for 24
hours, then applied the chemotherapeutic drug
gemcitabine for 36 hours," said Elvira de
Mejia, a U of I professor of food chemistry
and food toxicology.
The trick seemed to be using the flavonoids as
a pre-treatment instead of applying them and
the chemotherapeutic drug simultaneously,
said Jodee Johnson, a doctoral student in de
Mejia's lab who has since graduated.
"Even though the topic is still controversial,
our study indicated that taking antioxidant
supplements on the same day as
chemotherapeutic drugs may negate the effect
of those drugs," she said.
"That happens because flavonoids can act as
antioxidants. One of the ways that
chemotherapeutic drugs kill cells is based on
their pro-oxidant activity, meaning that
flavonoids and chemotherapeutic drugs may
compete with each other when they're
introduced at the same time," she explained.
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive cancer,
and there are few early symptoms, meaning
that the disease is often not found before it
has spread. Ultimately the goal is to develop a
cure, but prolonging the lives of patients
would be a significant development, Johnson
added.
It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related
deaths, with a five-year survival rate of only 6
percent, she said.
The scientists found that apigenin inhibited an
enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase-3β
(GSK-3β), which led to a decrease in the
production of anti-apoptotic genes in the
pancreatic cancer cells. Apoptosis means that
the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA
has been damaged.
In one of the cancer cell lines, the percentage
of cells undergoing apoptosis went from 8.4
percent in cells that had not been treated with
the flavonoid to 43.8 percent in cells that had
been treated with a 50-micromolar dose. In
this case, no chemotherapy drug had been
added.
Treatment with the flavonoid also modified
gene expression. "Certain genes associated with
pro-inflammatory cytokines were highly
upregulated," de Mejia said.
According to Johnson, the scientists' in vitro
study in Molecular Nutrition and Food
Research is the first to show that apigenin
treatment can lead to an increase in interleukin
17s in pancreatic cells, showing its potential
relevance in anti-pancreatic cancer activity.
Pancreatic cancer patients would probably not
be able to eat enough flavonoid-rich foods to
raise blood plasma levels of the flavonoid to an
effective level. But scientists could design
drugs that would achieve those concentrations,
de Mejia said.
And prevention of this frightening disease is
another story. "If you eat a lot of fruits and
vegetables throughout your life, you'll have
chronic exposure to these bioactive flavonoids,
which would certainly help to reduce the risk
of cancer," she noted.
Mexican oregano, all contain apigenin and
luteolin, flavonoids that kill human pancreatic
cancer cells in the lab by inhibiting an
important enzyme, according to two new
University of Illinois studies.
"Apigenin alone induced cell death in two
aggressive human pancreatic cancer cell lines.
But we received the best results when we pre-
treated cancer cells with apigenin for 24
hours, then applied the chemotherapeutic drug
gemcitabine for 36 hours," said Elvira de
Mejia, a U of I professor of food chemistry
and food toxicology.
The trick seemed to be using the flavonoids as
a pre-treatment instead of applying them and
the chemotherapeutic drug simultaneously,
said Jodee Johnson, a doctoral student in de
Mejia's lab who has since graduated.
"Even though the topic is still controversial,
our study indicated that taking antioxidant
supplements on the same day as
chemotherapeutic drugs may negate the effect
of those drugs," she said.
"That happens because flavonoids can act as
antioxidants. One of the ways that
chemotherapeutic drugs kill cells is based on
their pro-oxidant activity, meaning that
flavonoids and chemotherapeutic drugs may
compete with each other when they're
introduced at the same time," she explained.
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive cancer,
and there are few early symptoms, meaning
that the disease is often not found before it
has spread. Ultimately the goal is to develop a
cure, but prolonging the lives of patients
would be a significant development, Johnson
added.
It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related
deaths, with a five-year survival rate of only 6
percent, she said.
The scientists found that apigenin inhibited an
enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase-3β
(GSK-3β), which led to a decrease in the
production of anti-apoptotic genes in the
pancreatic cancer cells. Apoptosis means that
the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA
has been damaged.
In one of the cancer cell lines, the percentage
of cells undergoing apoptosis went from 8.4
percent in cells that had not been treated with
the flavonoid to 43.8 percent in cells that had
been treated with a 50-micromolar dose. In
this case, no chemotherapy drug had been
added.
Treatment with the flavonoid also modified
gene expression. "Certain genes associated with
pro-inflammatory cytokines were highly
upregulated," de Mejia said.
According to Johnson, the scientists' in vitro
study in Molecular Nutrition and Food
Research is the first to show that apigenin
treatment can lead to an increase in interleukin
17s in pancreatic cells, showing its potential
relevance in anti-pancreatic cancer activity.
Pancreatic cancer patients would probably not
be able to eat enough flavonoid-rich foods to
raise blood plasma levels of the flavonoid to an
effective level. But scientists could design
drugs that would achieve those concentrations,
de Mejia said.
And prevention of this frightening disease is
another story. "If you eat a lot of fruits and
vegetables throughout your life, you'll have
chronic exposure to these bioactive flavonoids,
which would certainly help to reduce the risk
of cancer," she noted.
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