Rye bran and soy protein delay growth and increase apoptosis of human LNCaP prostate adenocarcinoma in nude mice

In this study, we investigated whether dietary intervention could inhibit tumor growth of an androgen-sensitive human prostatic cancer.

LNCaP cells were transplanted subcutaneously in nude-mice. The animals were then put on different diets and tumor take, tumor growth and prostate specific antigen (PSA) secretion were studied during 9 weeks.

Palpable tumors developed in 75% of the tumor-cell injected sites in animals fed a control diet (corn starch, sucrose, etc.) whereas, for animals given rye bran (RB), ethyl acetate extraction from rye bran supplemented cellulose based diets (CCEE), palpable tumors were seen in only 30% and for soy protein based diets (SCC) 50% of the transplantation sites, respectively. The tumors that grew to palpable size in the rye (RB) and soy (SCC) groups were smaller and secreted less PSA than those in the control group. In the rye and soy groups tumor cell apoptosis was increased, but cell proliferation was unaffected. Addition of fat to the rye diet reduced its effect on prostate cancer growth.

Factors in rye bran and soy protein may inhibit prostate cancer growth. The effect is more apparent for rye than for soy. Further studies are needed to identify the effective substances and to explore the mechanism of action.