Ethiopian Review

PORT DOUGLAS, AUSTRALIA (UroToday.com) – Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common internal malignancy and the second most frequent cause of cancer death in men. It is estimated that over 450 Canadian men will be diagnosed with PCa weekly, and 85 will die from it. The relationship between diet and risk for PCa is well-known in literature. Capsaicin, a compound found in chilli peppers, is a well-known pain reliever. Based on our limited clinical data on Capsaicin, our present study aims to investigate the chemopreventive effect of capsaicin in combination with micronutrients specifically, lycopene. We hypothesize that capsaicin in combination with lycopene decreases the proliferation and increases apoptosis of prostate cancer cells in vitro.

METHODS
Two human PCa cell lines were analyzed: LNCaP (AR+) and PC3 (AR-). Cells were treated with Capsaicin (0-200µM) alone, or in combination with lycopene. Cells were incubated for up to 72 h and proliferation assessed using MTS assay. Alterations in PSA, cell-regulatory molecules, and apoptotic markers were assessed by Western blot analysis. In parallel studies, DNA was extracted for fragmentation.

RESULTS
There was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the proliferation of LNCaP and PC3 cells, when treated with 200 μM of capsaicin. Combination studies revealed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in proliferation when capsaicin was combined with lycopene. Western blot revealed a significant decrease (2-fold change) in PSA expression in LNCaP cells when treated with capsaicin alone and in combination. It was interesting that the treatment resulted in the expression of cleaved PARP, demonstrating that the cells are undergoing apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS
These studies may eventually help identify patients likely to benefit from the use of capsaicin in combination with specific micronutrients. Ultimately these strategies may have a more meaningful impact on PCa morbidity and mortality than other therapeutic strategies currently in use.

- Uro Today