Tocotrienols induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells

[yeahright]

September 8, 2006

Tocotrienols induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells

The July 28, 2006 issue of the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications published the findings of Janmejai K. Srivastava and Sanjay Gupta of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, that the application of a tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) of palm oil resulted in the programmed self-destruction (apoptosis) and growth arrest of prostate cancer cells, while not significantly affecting normal prostate cells. Tocotrienols are four of the eight fractions of vitamin E that may have cancer preventive properties along with other benefits.

The duo used cultures of normal human prostate epithelial cells, virally transformed normal cells, and three types of human prostate cancer cells for the current study. Tocotrienols were administered in concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 micrograms per milliliter. Control groups of cells received an inert solution.

While minimal growth inhibition occurred in the normal and virally transformed normal cells following the addition of the highest concentration of tocotrienols, there was a significant decrease in cell viability and colony formation in all of the prostate cancer cell lines beginning at lower concentrations. Prostate cancer cells treated with tocotrienols underwent significant apoptosis that increased with higher concentrations, while normal cells did not undergo apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis also showed a dose-dependent effect at a particular phase of the cell cycle only in the three prostate cancer lines. "These observations suggest that prostate cancer cells respond differentially to TRF exposure than their normal counterparts," the authors observed.

According to Drs Srivastava and Gupta, the prevalence and long latency period of prostate cancer make it an ideal candidate for chemopreventive measures. To their knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate that tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells while leaving normal cells unaffected.

 

[Gokmog]

great post, dude.

i hope unhulled sesame seeds have what it takes. i'm not the biggest fan of the hefty Es in most of the E supplements. although i have the source naturals gamma E gel caps... there's a lot in there, and i don't like to use it regularly anymore.

 

[bioman]

I like the tocotrienols but I like gamma E even better (use a mix to get all the benfits). Both are quite a bit more expensive than regular E, but worth it IMO if you are going to supplement with E. Using 1000iu of gamma E I could see a difference in my skin within a week or two. Purely anecdotal, I know.

 

[yeahright]

I like the tocotrienols but I like gamma E even better (use a mix to get all the benfits). Both are quite a bit more expensive than regular E, but worth it IMO if you are going to supplement with E. Using 1000iu of gamma E I could see a difference in my skin within a week or two. Purely anecdotal, I know.

I'm with you on this. Unfolding studies on just about every supplement show that it's the interaction of the constellation of related compounds that cause the health benefits observed. We keep trying to isolate the one thing (in carrots for example) that causes health benefits (aha it's the beta-carotene) only to learn later that the mixture of carotenoids is far better than isolated beta-carotene.

 

[Gokmog]

i like to mash things like sweet potatos/yams and carrots. when i cook greens i like to powder my herbs and spices, mix them into the grass-fed beef lard, mix the lard into the dried greens (usually collards) and then when i've got some root or tuber with beta-carotene i'll mix that in. i also like to cut up peppers and onions and blend them into a smoothie, cook that down into a thick paste and incorporate that into whatever i'm cooking as i see fit.

all packed with healthy, nutritious LARD. served over rice or mixed into my ground beef or chicken.

delish!

i'm currently on a home-made berbere paste mixed in with beef round steak chunks. this batch is simple, in a base of green pepper and onion paste: chili powder, too little paprika (ran out), garlic powder (ran out), cumin, lots of freshly ground peppercorns, salt, cayenne. i think next time i'll use fenugreek seeds (pounded into powder by my mortar and pestle) and asafoetida (hing) and real garlic. maybe throw in some fennel seed (crushed as well). then i'll lower my SHBG and increase my LH and turn into a sex maniac. an ethiopian berbere sauce sex maniac (it's healthy!)...

:jaw:

 

[FYI777]

apoptosis=programmed self-destruction.

growth arrest?

This is an amazing study, thanx yeahright.

I would like to also point out that hebal medicinals are also 99% of the time never just one thing but rather a synergistic mix of compounds.Pharm co's usually are scratching their head because of this in that the one element can't be isolated with the effect.Mother nature is indeed much more sophisticated than we think.