title: Diallyl disulfide inhibits the proliferation of human tumor cells in culture.
abstract: Diallyl disulfide (DADS), an oil-soluble organosulfur compound in processed garlic, was more effective in inhibiting the in vitro growth of human tumor cell lines: HCT-15 (colon), A549 (lung), and SK MEL-2 (skin) than isomolar quantities of the water-soluble compound S-allyl cysteine (SAC). Addition of DADS (100 microM) was cytostatic to all three cell lines. The importance of the allyl and the disulfide groups were revealed by the lack of a comparable depression in the growth of HCT-15 cells exposed to its saturated analogue, dipropyl disulfide (DPDS). Treatment with DADS also resulted in a dose-dependent increase in intracellular free calcium in cells. A dose-dependent decrease in the activity of calcium-dependent ATPase enzyme occurred in HCT-15 cells exposed to increasing quantities of DADS. A correlation (r = -0.975) was found between the intracellular free calcium levels and the Ca-ATPase activity in DADS-treated cells. These studies document that DADS, a constituent of garlic oil, is an effective inhibitor of the growth of human neoplastic cells. Alterations in calcium hemostasis are likely involved in the growth inhibition/cytotoxicity caused by DADS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University Park 16802, USA.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Milner
mesh_terms: D000498:Allyl Compounds; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004220:Disulfides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000498:Allyl Compounds; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004220:Disulfides; D004533:Egtazic Acid; C028009:diallyl disulfide; C065299:S-allylcysteine; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; C041288:n-propyl disulfide; D003545:Cysteine; D005033:Ethylmaleimide; D002118:Calcium