Effects of nutraceuticals sulforaphane, diallyl disulfide and vitamin D in human cancer cell lines: Evaluation of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, cell migration, epigenetics changes and gene expression

Abstract

The transformation of a normal cell into a cancerous phenotype requires stages of initiation, progression, and promotion by altering specific genes. Although predisposition to cancer cannot be signaled out by a single factor, a group of factors place some individuals at a higher risk of acquiring the disease. As determined by epidemiological studies, the predominant forms of cancer are breast, lung, prostate and liver. Although great advances in cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation are currently being achieved, their application is associated with numerous adverse side effects. Many nutraceuticals are currently been investigated for their promising chemoprevention of cancer. Cell culture and in vivo studies suggest that ingestion of these nutraceuticals may inhibit certain types of cancers. Nutraceuticals have been shown to exert anticancer effects, including anthocyanins, lycopene, tea polyphenols, genistein, resveratrol, curcumin, sulforaphane and quercetin. The aim of this study will be on mechanistic pathways that can be regulate in vitro by nutraceuticals sulforaphane, diallyl disulfide and vitamin D in human cancer cell lines (HepG2, PC-3 and DU-145) and non-cancer cells (GAS, HUVEC and PNT2). Various biological endpoints can be measured in in vitro assays, with the nutraceuticals alone or in combination (sulforaphane + vitamin D or diallyl disulfide + sorafenib) with other compounds. Cytotoxicity, cell death by apoptosis and autophagy, migration and cell invasion, genotoxicity and gene expression will be performed. In addition, we will analyze proteins by western blot and identify epigenetic modifications. (AU)