Increase Intake of Water for Prevention of Cancer: an Enzymological Lesson?

Extensive studies have so far been principally made using hydrophobic carcinogens in the field of chemical carcinogenesis. However, the species of glutathione S-transferases (GSTP1-1) linked to neoplasia of rat and human were recently shown to be selective for hydrophilic carcinogens such as acrolein and hydroxyalkenals (Satoh, 1998; Satoh et al., 1999) in accord with the finding of a water-network in the active site of the human GSTP1-1 by X-ray analysis (Hu et al.; Ji et al., 1997). These results indicate that water-soluble carcinogens may be more significant than their hydrophobic counterparts in vivo. Of note, half-times for excretion of hydrophilic compounds are as short as several hrs, while those for hydrophobic ones are as long as several months or years. These available enzymological data suggest on importance of consuming water to prevent cancer.