In vitro antiproliferative effects of sulforaphane on human colon cancer cell line SW620.

The isothiocyanate sulforaphane (SF) has been reported to possess chemopreventive efficiency towards various malignancies including colon cancer. Here, we investigated the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of SF on colon cancer cell line SW620. We found that SF at concentrations of 10-50 microM inhibits cell viability and proliferation of SW620 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with IC50 being 26 microM (24 h), 24.4 microM (48 h) and 18 microM (72 h). Also, in the same cells SF caused DNA damage and chromatin condensation after 24 h and 48 h as revealed by phospho-H2A.X western blot analysis and DAPI staining of nuclei. These changes were accompanied by the elevated activity of caspase 3, although after 20 microM SF concentration only. Together, these results indicate that SF suppresses growth of human metastacic colonocytes and induces apoptotic cell death.

[Francisella tularensis infection, or how to outsmart the certain death]. / Infekce Francisella tularensis, aneb chytrý zpusob jak uniknout jisté smrti.

Francisella tularensis is an intracellular bacterial pathogen and is the causative agent of tularemia. Human become infected when manipulating with infected animals (usually rodents) or via arthropod vectors. In spite of the high virulence of the microbe still very little is known about its overall interaction with host cells and virulence factors identified to date show properties different from other bacterial species.

Polyphenolic compounds in chemoprevention of colon cancer - targets and signaling pathways.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of premature death in people worldwide. Due to the fact that malignant conversion of normal colonic cells requires several steps and often proceeds over considerable time periods, primary prevention of this process should include several approaches, with optimization of nutrition and diet being among most important. During past decades, several groups of chemicals (both naturally occurring as well as synthetic) have been studied in terms of their potential chemopreventive role in colorectal cancer development. Naturally occurring plant polyphenols have recently come into scientific focus because of their presence in various popular natural products (wine grapes, teas, berries, peanuts) and, more importantly, due to their reported antiproliferative and cytostatic abilities in various in vitro and in vivo models. This review seeks to summarize the currently known targets and mechanisms whereby polyphenolic compounds interfere with colonic cancer cells while evaluating their chemopreventive potential in vivo.