title: Anti-androgenic effects of flavonols in prostate cancer.
abstract: Dietary-derived agents, such as the flavonoids, are of particular interest for prostate cancer (PCa) chemoprevention as they may offer a favourable safety and side-effect profile. An agent that demonstrates action on the androgen receptor (AR) axis may have value for preventing or treating castrate-resistant PCa. Four main flavonols - quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol, and fisetin - have been demonstrated in laboratory studies to have chemopreventive action in both castrate-resistant and castrate-sensitive PCa models. Mechanisms of flavonol action on the AR axis in PCa have been proposed to be inhibition of the 5α-reductase enzymes, direct androgen competition, suppression of the AR complex and transactivation by coregulators such as c-Jun, Sp1, and the PI3K/Akt pathway. It is, however, still unclear with current levels of evidence whether AR axis-mediated effects can fully account for the flavonols' chemopreventive action.
authors.affiliation: Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L7 8XP, UK.
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boam
keywords: androgen; chemoprevention; fisetin; flavonoids; flavonols; kaempferol; myricetin; prostate cancer; quercetin