title: Biphasic effect of falcarinol on caco-2 cell proliferation, DNA damage, and apoptosis.
abstract: The polyacetylene falcarinol, isolated from carrots, has been shown to be protective against chemically induced colon cancer development in rats, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study CaCo-2 cells were exposed to falcarinol (0.5-100 microM) and the effects on proliferation, DNA damage, and apoptosis investigated. Low-dose falcarinol exposure (0.5-10 microM) decreased expression of the apoptosis indicator caspase-3 concomitantly with decreased basal DNA strand breakage. Cell proliferation was increased (1-10 microM), whereas cellular attachment was unaffected by <10 microM falcarinol. At concentrations above 20 microM falcarinol, proliferation of CaCo-2 cells decreased and the number of cells expressing active caspase-3 increased simultaneously with increased cell detachment. Furthermore, DNA single-strand breakage was significantly increased at concentrations above 10 microM falcarinol. Thus, the effects of falcarinol on CaCo-2 cells appear to be biphasic, inducing pro-proliferative and apoptotic characteristics at low and high concentrations of falcarinol, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Food Science, Research Centre Foulum, P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark. JetteF.Young@agrsci.dk
authors.forename: Jette F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Duthie
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.forename: Lars P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Garry G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Duthie
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bestwick
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D018552:Daucus carota / Q000737:chemistry; D053280:Diynes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts
chemical_list: D053280:Diynes; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D010936:Plant Extracts; C018541:falcarinol; D053148:Caspase 3