Grape seed extract as an aromatase inhibitor
 

research from the City of Hope I am confused why they used SKBR3 cell line as well as MCF7 (ER+but her2-) it is usually her2+ but ER-(!?):

1: Cancer Res. 2006 Jun 1;66(11):5960-7. Links

Grape seed extract is an aromatase inhibitor and a suppressor of aromatase expression.

Kijima I, Phung S, Hur G, Kwok SL, Chen S.

Department of Surgical Research, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California.

Aromatase is the enzyme that converts androgen to estrogen. It is expressed at higher levels in breast cancer tissues than normal breast tissues. Grape seed extract (GSE) contains high levels of procyanidin dimers that have been shown in our laboratory to be potent inhibitors of aromatase. In this study, GSE was found to inhibit aromatase activity in a dose-dependent manner and reduce androgen-dependent tumor growth in an aromatase-transfected MCF-7 (MCF-7aro) breast cancer xenograft model, agreeing with our previous findings. We have also examined the effect of GSE on aromatase expression. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments showed that treatment with 60 mug/mL of GSE suppressed the levels of exon I.3-, exon PII-, and exon I.6-containing aromatase mRNAs in MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 cells. The levels of exon I.1-containing mRNA, however, did not change with GSE treatment. Transient transfection experiments with luciferase-aromatase promoter I.3/II or I.4 reporter vectors showed the suppression of the promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. The GSE treatment also led to the down-regulation of two transcription factors, cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein-1 (CREB-1) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). CREB-1 and GR are known to up-regulate aromatase gene expression through promoters I.3/II and I.4, respectively. We believe that these results are exciting in that they show GSE to be potentially useful in the prevention/treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer through the inhibition of aromatase activity as well as its expression. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(11): 5960-7).

PMID: 16740737 [PubMed - in process]

It's always the same question however: does it get past the gut and end as a viable compound in our system?
hopeful information
Al

Re incorporation into body chemistry

I cannot answer but presumably will impact on activity in gut, and question if it cuts inflamation in the gut will that help stop the gut send out inflamation alerts and help prevent leaky gut etc.

My guess is the body has learned to interact with many foods or food types over our history, possibly having preferences depending on racial origin (eg alcohol poor digestion by Chinese? - some europeans have better ability to deal with milk).

Would this not be an argument for variety, both as insurance and to give the body choice.

Fats are for me in a special catergory of their own as they are both a fundamantal element in out body,(which grapeseed or ginseng.... are not) common to living things, and arrived on the stage early in the first act.

RB