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Table 1 Summary of the putative anticancer mechanisms of soy and isolated phyto-oestrogen compounds in breast cancer cell lines and rodent models

From: Phyto-oestrogens and breast cancer chemoprevention

Phyto-oestrogen

Cellular effect

Proposed mechanism

Cell culture studies

  

   Genistein

Growth inhibition

↓EGF receptor activity [23]

  

Induction of cell differentiation [43]

  

↓AP-1 activity, ↓ERK phosphorylation [58]

  

↑p21WAF1 [59]

  

↑TGF-β synthesis [75]

 

Induction of apoptosis

↑Bax, ↑p53 [67]

   Biochanin A

Growth inhibition

↓ER

   Resveratrol

Growth inhibition

↓NF-κB activation [39]

  

↑p21WAF1 [66, 69]

   (-)-Epigallocatechin

Induction of apoptosis

↓Bcl-2, ↑Bax [70]

   Epigallocatechin-3 gallate

Growth inhibition

↓Her-2/neu signalling [71]

Rodent models

  

   Genistein

Mammary tumour suppression

Induction of terminal differentiation [38]

   Resveratrol

Mammary tumour suppression

↓NF-κB activation [39]

   Soy isoflavone extract

Mammary tumour suppression

↓ER-α, ↓PR [42]

   Isoflavone mix

Reduced metastases

Not defined [40, 44]

  1. ↓ and ↑ indicate a respective reduction or increase in protein levels or activity. AP, activator protein; EGF, epidermal growth factor; ER, oestrogen receptor; ERK, extracellular signal-related kinase; NF-κB, nuclear factor-κB; TGF, transforming growth factor.