Dietary sulforaphane inhibits histone deacetylase activity in B16 melanoma cells

Abstract

Dietary sulforaphane (SF) exerts anticancer effects via epigenetic changes resulting from the inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity in colon and prostate cancer cells. The present study aimed to evaluate the inhibition of HDAC activity by SF and its effect on apoptosis in B16 melanoma cells. SF significantly inhibited proliferation of B16 melanoma cells with an IC50 of 6.1 ± 1.0 µM, as assessed with the MTT assay performed after SF treatment for 48 h. SF induced apoptosis in B16 cells in a dose-dependent manner and caused them to undergo G2/M arrest. By quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analysis, expression of p21 and Bax was upregulated in B16 cells treated for 48 h with SF, and the levels of acetylated histones H3 and H4 were increased. In conclusion, these findings suggest that SF as functional food ingredients may be effective against melanoma through inhibition of HDAC activity.

Keywords

• Sulforaphane
• Histone deacetylase
• Melanoma
• Apoptosis
• Cell cycle arrest
• Functional food