Sulforaphane/Sulforaphane glucosinolate - Thorne Research

Animal Research: Sulforaphane/Sulforaphane glucosinolate
Inhibition of synovial hyperplasia, rheumatoid T cell activation, and experimental arthritis in mice by
sulforaphane, a naturally occurring isothiocyanate.
Kong JS, Yoo SA, Kim HS, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2010;62:159-170.
Rheumatoid arthritis involves a tumor-like expansion of the synovium characterized by
hyperproliferation of synoviocytes, infiltration of T and B cells and increases in interleukins-6, -8, and -
17. The in vivo effects of sulforaphane on synoviocyte hyperplasia and T cell activation were examined in
mice with experimentally induced rheumatoid arthritis. Sulforaphane induced synoviocyte apoptosis,
inhibited T cell proliferation, and production of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor alpha
(TNFalpha). Intraperitoneal administration of sulforaphane to mice also suppressed the clinical severity
of arthritis. The antiarthritic and immune regulatory effects of sulforaphane suggest it may offer a
possible treatment option for RA.
Sulforaphane inhibits prostate carcinogenesis and pulmonary metastasis in TRAMP mice in association
with increased cytotoxicity of natural killer cells.
Singh SV, Warin R, Xiao D, et al. Cancer Res 2009;69:2117-2125.
An animal model of prostate cancer shows that oral gavage of sulforaphane thrice per week beginning
at six weeks of age, significantly inhibits prostate carcinogenesis and pulmonary metastasis in mice,
without causing any side effects. The incidence of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and welldifferentiated
carcinoma were approximately 23-28-percent lower in the dorsolateral prostate of
sulforaphane-treated mice when compared with controls. Strikingly, the sulforaphane-treated mice
exhibited approximately 50% and 63% decrease, respectively, in pulmonary metastasis incidence and
multiplicity compared with control mice. The dorsolateral prostate from treated mice showed decreased
cellular proliferation and increased apoptosis when compared with that from control mice. These results
indicate that sulforaphane administration inhibits prostate cancer progression and pulmonary
metastasis in mice by reducing cell proliferation and augmenting NK cell lytic activity.
Sulforaphane, a dietary component of broccoli/broccoli sprouts, inhibits breast cancer stem cells.
Li Y, Zhang T, Korkaya H, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2010;16:2580-2590.
A nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft mouse model was used to determine
whether sulforaphane could target breast cancer stem cells in vivo, as assessed by Aldefluor assay, and
tumor growth upon cell reimplantation in secondary mice. Sulforaphane (1-5 micromol/L) decreased the
aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cell population by 65% to 80% in human breast cancer cells and
reduced the size and number of primary mammospheres by 8- to 125-fold and 45% to 75%, respectively.
Daily injection with 50 mg/kg sulforaphane for 2 weeks reduced aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cells
by >50% in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft tumors and eliminated
breast cancer stem cells in vivo, thereby abrogating tumor growth after the reimplantation of primary
tumor cells into the secondary mice. These findings support the use of sulforaphane for the
chemoprevention of breast cancer and warrant further clinical evaluation.
Sulforaphane induces thioredoxin through the antioxidant-responsive element and attenuates retinal
light damage in mice.
Tanito M, Masutani H, Kim YC, et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2005;46:979-987.