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Pomegranate extract promotes apoptosis of prostate cancer cells

Karla Gale

Last Updated: 2005-09-26 17:00:28 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pomegranate extract may prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth, according to new in vitro and in vivo studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Dr. Hasan Mukhtar and his colleagues note in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition that pomegranates are high in polyphenolic compounds, making its juice higher in antioxidant activity than red wine and green tea.

When they incubated prostate cancer cells with 10 to 100 micrograms/mL of pomegranate extract, they observed a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth due to apoptosis and necrosis, along with down-modulation of regulatory molecules and cell-cycle arrest.

In androgen receptor-positive prostate cancer cells expressing prostate specific antigen (PSA), treatment with pomegranate extract decreased androgen receptor and PSA expression.

When human prostate cancer cells were injected subcutaneously into athymic nude mice, feeding the animals pomegranate extract delayed the appearance of tumors. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited and survival was prolonged. The authors also observed that PSA secretion correlated with tumor growth inhibition.

In terms of recommending pomegranate juice to patients with prostate cancer, Dr. Mukhtar told Reuters Health, "Based on the data we have it's highly unlikely that it will produce any adverse effects and it is highly possible that it will produce useful effects."

Moreover, he added, since his group has also shown that pomegranate extract inhibits skin cancer growth, it is possible that the fruit would be of benefit in many types of cancer.

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2005.

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