Growth arrest and cell death induced by the dietary anticarcinogen sulforaphane in human renal cancer cells are maintained after it was conjugated to glutathione

Abstract

Various epidemiological studies have revealed an inverse association between renal cancer and consumption of cruciferous vegetables. Sulforaphane, a natural microconstituant from broccoli, has been shown to exert potent anti-tumoral properties in vitro as well as in vivo against colon and mammary chemically-induced tumors. Here, we show in human renal carcinoma cells ACHN cells, that conjugation of sulforaphane to glutathione, a process mainly responsible for its accumulation invarious cells, did not change the properties of this isothiocyanate (i.e. cell death, cell cycle arrest inthe S-phase and cyclin A and B1 induced-expression). This result constitutes a good support to possible protective properties against renal cancer described for cruciferous vegetables. Second, our finding seems to be in agreement with the previously described activation of compounds by conjugation to GSH. This may have important implications especially in explaining the effects of rapidly conjugated compounds on tissues and organs distant from the original site of exposure and/or conjugation