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Effect of flavonoids on cell proliferation: Comparison with estrogen
Author(s) -
Man Ricky Ying Keung,
Leung Susan W.S.,
Leung George P.H.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.718.4
Subject(s) - estrogen , estrogen receptor , receptor , cell growth , quercetin , pharmacology , medicine , chemistry , mcf 7 , antagonist , endocrinology , biology , cancer cell , biochemistry , human breast , cancer , antioxidant , breast cancer
Some flavonoids are structurally similar to 17β‐estradiol and have been considered to be phytoestrogen or plant derived compounds with estrogenic actions. Our previous studies indicated that 17β‐estradiol and certain flavonoids relaxed and favorably modulated vascular reactivity in porcine coronary arteries. These vascular actions of 17β‐estradiol appeared to be mediated by receptors other than the classical estrogen receptors. In the present study, the potential of flavonoids to mimic the hormonal actions of 17β‐estradiol were investigated. The effect of different flavonoids on the proliferation of the breast cancer cell line, MCF‐7 cells, was examined by using the MTT assay. 17β‐estradiol (10 −6 M) significantly increased the rate of proliferation of MCF‐7 cells, and this increase was inhibited by the classical estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182780 (10 −9 M). None of the 13 different flavonoids tested, at concentrations ranging from 10 −9 to 10 −5 M, significantly affected the proliferation of MCF‐7 cells. However, these flavonoids (10 −9 to 10 −6 M), except quercetin, inhibited the proliferating action of 17β‐estradiol (10 −6 M) on MCF‐7 cells. These results suggested that flavonoids bind to the classical estrogen receptors without activating them. Thus flavonoids elicit similar vascular actions to 17β‐estradiol but they do not induce the hormonal effects. (Supported by the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong)