Lab Anim Res.  2014 Dec;30(4):143-150. 10.5625/lar.2014.30.4.143.

Chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of genistein, a soy isoflavone, upon cancer development and progression in preclinical animal models

• Kim SH
• Kim CW
• Jeon SY
• Go RE
• Hwang KA
• Choi KC

• KMID: 1737415
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5625/lar.2014.30.4.143

Abstract

Genistein is one of isoflavones mostly derived in a leguminous plant. It is well known as one of phytoestrogens that have structures similar to the principal mammalian estrogen. It has diverse biological functions including chemopreventive properties against cancers. Anticancer efficacies of genistein have been related with the epidemiological observations indicating that the incidence of some cancers is much lower in Asia, where diets are rich in soyfoods, than Western countries. This review deals with in vivo anticancer activities of genistein identified in animal studies being divided into its effects on carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Because animal studies have advantages in designing the experiments to suit the goals, they imply diverse information on the anticancer activity of genistein. The in vivo animal studies have adopted the specific animal models according to a developmental stage of cancer to prove the anticancer efficacies of genistein against diverse types of cancer. The numerous previous studies insist that genistein effectively inhibits carcinogenesis in the DMBA-induced animal cancer models by reducing the incidence of adenocarcinoma and cancer progression in the transgenic and xenograft animal models by suppressing the tumor growth and metastatic transition. Although the protective effect of genistein against cancer has been controversial, genistein may be a candidate for chemoprevention of carcinogenesis and cancer progression and may deserve to be the central compound supporting the epidemiological evidence.

Keyword

Genistein; carcinogenesis; cancer progression; transgenic mouse; xenograft

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma
Animals
Asia
Carcinogenesis
Chemoprevention
Diet
Estrogens
Genistein*
Heterografts
Incidence
Isoflavones
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Models, Animal*
Phytoestrogens
Plants
Estrogens
Genistein
Isoflavones
Phytoestrogens

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Structure of genistein, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one.

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  Figure 2 Chemopreventive effects of genistein against diverse cancers upon cancer development and progression. In 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced carcinogenesis models using rodents, genistein has inhibitory effects by providing less sites for malignant transformation or upregulating a tumor suppressor gene. In addition, genistein has preventive effects against cancer progression such as cancer growth and metastasis in diverse animal models adopting transgenic and xenografted mice.

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