title: Chemopreventive activity of vitamin E in breast cancer: a focus on γ- and δ-tocopherol.
abstract: Vitamin E consists of eight different variants: α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols (saturated phytyl tail) and α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienols (unsaturated phytyl tail). Cancer prevention studies with vitamin E have primarily utilized the variant α-tocopherol. To no avail, a majority of these studies focused on variant α-tocopherol with inconsistent results. However, γ-tocopherol, and more recently δ-tocopherol, have shown greater ability to reduce inflammation, cell proliferation, and tumor burden. Recent results have shown that γ-enriched mixed tocopherols inhibit the development of mammary hyperplasia and tumorigenesis in animal models. In this review, we discuss the possible differences between the variant forms, molecular targets, and cancer-preventive effects of tocopherols. We recommend that a γ-enriched mixture, γ- and δ-tocopherol, but not α-tocopherol, are promising agents for breast cancer prevention and warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. smoaman@eden.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Smolarek
authors.forename: Nanjoo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D047495:PPAR gamma; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014810:Vitamin E; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; C479072:delta-tocopherol; D024505:Tocopherols