Hsieh Chia-Jung, Hsu Ya-Ling, Huang Ya-Fang, Tsai Eing-Mei
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung. Taiwan.
Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung. Taiwan.
Curr Protein Pept Sci. 2018;19(3):323-332. doi: 10.2174/1389203718666170111121255.
Phytoestrogens derived from plants exert estrogenic as well as antiestrogenic effects and multiple actions within breast cancer cells. Chemopreventive properties of phytoestrogens have emerged from epidemiological observations. In recent clinical research studies, phytoestrogens are safe and may even protect against breast cancer. In this brief review, the molecular mechanisms of phytoestrogens on regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, estrogen receptors, cell signaling pathways, and epigenetic modulations in relation to breast cancer are discussed. Phytoestrogens have a preferential affinity for estrogen receptor (ER)-β, which appears to be associated with antiproliferative and anticarcinogenic effects. Moreover, while phytoestrogens not only inhibit ER-positive but also ER-negative breast cancer cells, the possibility of epigenetic modulation playing an important role is also discussed. In conclusion, as there are multiple targets and actions of phytoestrogens, extensive research is still necessary. However, due to low toxicity, low cost, and easy availability, their potent chemoprevention effects deserve further study.
源自植物的植物雌激素具有雌激素样和抗雌激素样作用，并在乳腺癌细胞内具有多种作用。植物雌激素的化学预防特性已从流行病学观察中显现出来。在最近的临床研究中，植物雌激素是安全的，甚至可能预防乳腺癌。在这篇简短的综述中，讨论了植物雌激素在调节细胞周期、细胞凋亡、雌激素受体、细胞信号通路以及与乳腺癌相关的表观遗传调控方面的分子机制。植物雌激素对雌激素受体（ER）-β具有优先亲和力，这似乎与抗增殖和抗癌作用有关。此外，虽然植物雌激素不仅抑制ER阳性乳腺癌细胞，也抑制ER阴性乳腺癌细胞，但也讨论了表观遗传调控发挥重要作用的可能性。总之，由于植物雌激素有多个靶点和作用，仍需进行广泛研究。然而，由于其低毒性、低成本和易于获取，它们强大的化学预防作用值得进一步研究。
