110-5 |
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R. R. BANSODE1, H. A. Bawadi2, R. E. Truax3, and J. N. Losso1. (1) Dept. of Food Science, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, 111 Food Science Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4200, (2) School of Human Ecology, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, 125 Human Ecology Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, (3) Dept. of Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State Univ., 3204 Veterinary Medicine Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 The evaluation of natural components with cancer prevention properties in food is now an important element of overall cancer prevention strategy. Recent research indicates that milk sphingolipids have anti-carcinogenic potential. Sphingomyelin represents about one third of total milk phospholipids. Ceramide, the metabolite of sphingomyelin acts as a second messenger for the action of extracelluar agonist, transmitting the signal towards the nucleus through multiple downstream targets which have a role in the activation of number of factors such as the transcription factor NFêB, which participates in the control of cell proliferation; dephosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product (pRb), a tumor suppressor gene that plays an important role in cell-growth suppression and regulation of cell-cycle progression; downregulation of expression of the proto-oncogene c-myc, which plays and important role in both cell proliferation and apoptosis. The objective of the study was to see if milk ceramide with C6 fatty acid play a role in cell-proliferation and migration of breast (MCF-7) cancer cells. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were grown with 0-2 microM of ceramide for 24 h. Cell proliferation was measured by luciferase catalyzed conversion of ATP to AMP. Cell migration in the presence of ceramide and 10% FBS as chemoattractant was assessed by using the Chemicon QCM Chemotaxis assay. Extracellular secretion of cytokines VEGF and cathepsin D was measured by specific ELISAs. The results indicated that at 1 microM (i) ceramide significantly decreased cell migration, (ii) significantly inhibited cell proliferation, (iii) caused cell death by apoptosis, and (iv) reduced the levels of angiogenesis stimulators VEGF and cathepsin D to below 50% of the control. These results suggest that milk ceramide may play an important role as anti-angiogenic functional food that warrants further in vitro and in vivo studies.
Session 110, Biotechnology: General
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