title: Growth inhibition of head and neck carcinomas by D-allose.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An inhibitory effect of D-allose, a rare sugar, on several cancer cell lines has been reported. This study aimed to investigate the growth inhibition of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells by D-allose.
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated 3 head and neck carcinoma cell lines with D-allose, D-fructose, D-psicose, and D-glucose. Cell growth assays as well as analyses of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, cell cycle, apoptosis, and uptake of 14C-glucose were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  D-allose had inhibitory effects on all 3 cell lines and tended to upregulate mRNA expression of glucose transporters, p21 and p53, and downregulate mRNA expression of cyclin A2, cyclin B1, and CDC2. We observed that D-allose tended to interfere with the intracellular uptake of D-glucose and induced apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that D-allose inhibits the growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. D-allose has a considerable potential as a new anticancer agent in those patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan. mitanit@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitani
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoshikawa
authors.forename: Terushige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kazuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamitori
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori