title: The red clover (Trifolium pratense) isoflavone biochanin A modulates the biotransformation pathways of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene.
abstract: Several flavonoids have shown their anti-carcinogenic effects in various models. The soyabean isoflavone genistein was demonstrated earlier in our laboratory to be an effective inhibitor of dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced DNA damage in MCF-7 cells by curbing cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1 enzymes. The red clover (Trifolium pratense) isoflavone biochanin A is a methylated derivative of genistein, and its anti-mutagenic effect in bacterial cells has been shown previously. Because of its protection against chemical carcinogenesis in an animal model, biochanin A was selected for testing in our established MCF-7 cell system. From the results obtained in the semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and xenobiotic response element (XRE)-luciferase reporter assays, biochanin A could reduce xenobiotic-induced CYP1A1 and -1B1 mRNA abundances through the interference of XRE-dependent transactivation. Enzyme kinetic studies also indicated that biochanin A inhibited both CYP1A1 and -1B1 enzymes with inhibition constant (Ki) values 4.00 and 0.59 microm respectively. Since the biotransformation of DMBA was dependent on CYP1 enzyme activities, biochanin A was able to decrease the DMBA-DNA lesions. The present study illustrated that the red clover isoflavone could protect against polycylic aromatic hydrocarbon-induced DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ho Yee
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lai K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D001711:Biotransformation; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D065633:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1B1; D018736:DNA Adducts / Q000378:metabolism; D019833:Genistein / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020218:Response Elements; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D002273:Carcinogens; D018736:DNA Adducts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; D019833:Genistein; D008156:Luciferases; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D065633:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1B1; C004541:biochanin A