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Combined Lycopene and Vitamin E Treatment Suppresses the Growth of PC-346C Human Prostate Cancer Cells in Nude Mice

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death of men. Epidemiological studies associate high intake of lycopene and the antioxidant vitamin E with reduced risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene, which has also antioxidant properties, is a carotenoid found mainly in tomatoes. In vitro tests have already shown that both lycopene and vitamin E have antitumor properties. Other short time studies on humans have shown that intake of tomatoes reduced oxidative DNA damage and resulted in lower prostate-specific antigen. A study by Pastori M and colleagues entitled " Lycopene in association with alpha-tocopherol inhibits at physiological concentrations proliferations of prostate carcinoma cells" and published in Biochemistry and Biophysics Research Communications (1998;250:582-5) showed that a combined treatment with lycopene and vitamin E resulted in a synergistic inhibition of prostate carcinoma cell proliferation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lycopene and vitamin E on tumor growth and indicators (prostate specific antigen) of prostate cancer growth in mice. After injection of the mice with human prostate cancer cells, the mice were given treatment with lycopene only, vitamin E only, a combination with lycopene and vitamin E or a placebo. The researchers found that only a combined treatment with lycopene and vitamin E resulted in a significant reduction in prostate tumor growth. Treatment with lycopene alone only showed a trend for slower tumor growth and increased survival time. Lycopene supplementation resulted in a dose-dependant accumulation of lycopene in the prostate and liver.

The study concluded that lycopene combined with the antioxidant vitamin E might inhibit prostate tumor growth, suggesting that these two compounds work synergistically. The mechanism of the combined action of lycopene and vitamin E remains speculative.


Source: J Limpens, F H Schr?der, C M A de Ridder, C A Bolder, M F Wildhagen, U C Oberm?ller-Jevic, K Kr?mer and W M van Weerden. Combined Lycopene and Vitamin E Treatment Suppresses the Growth of PC-346C Human Prostate Cancer Cells in Nude Mice. Journal of Nutrition. 136:1287-1293, May 2006


 
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