Polyphenols in Red Wine And Green Tea Halt Prostate Cancer Growth

In what could lead to a major advance in the
treatment of prostate cancer, scientists now
know exactly why polyphenols in red wine
and green tea inhibit cancer growth.
This new discovery, published online in The

FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology - Stanford University Libraries), explains how antioxidants in red wine and
green tea produce a combined effect to disrupt an important cell signaling pathway necessary for prostate cancer growth.

This finding is important because it may lead to the development of drugs that
could stop or slow cancer progression, or improve current treatments.

"Not only does SphK1/S1P signaling pathway play a role in prostate

cancer, but it also plays a role in other cancers, such as colon cancer,

breast cancer, and gastric cancers," reported The FASEB Journal.
"Even if future studies show that drinking red wine and green tea isn't

as effective in humans as we hope, knowing that the compounds in

those drinks disrupts this pathway is an important step toward

developing drugs that hit the same target."

Scientists conducted in vitro experiments which showed that the

inhibition of the sphingosine kinase- 1/sphingosine 1-phosphate

(SphK1/S1P) pathway was essential for green tea and wine

polyphenols to kill prostate cancer cells. Next, laboratory subjects genetically altered to develop a human prostate cancer tumor were either treated or not treated with green tea and wine polyphenols.

The treated laboratory subjects showed reduced tumor growth as a result of the inhibited SphK1/S1P pathway. To mimic the preventive effects of polyphenols, another experiment used three groups of laboratory subjects given drinking water, drinking water with a green
tea compound known as EGCg, or drinking water with a different
green tea compound, polyphenon E. Human prostate cancer cells
were implanted in the laboratory subjects and results showed a

dramatic decrease in tumor size in the mice drinking the EGCg

or polyphenon E mixtures.

"The profound impact that the antioxidants in red wine and green tea

have on our bodies is more than anyone would have considered just
25 years ago," the researchers added. "As long as they are taken in

moderation, all signs show that red wine and green tea may be

ranked among the most potent 'health foods' we know.


Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology publishes The FASEB Journal. Stanford University Libraries

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