Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 250: 582-585 1998 "Lycopene in Association with Alpha-tocopherol Inhibits at Physiological Concentrations Proliferation of Prostate Carcinoma Cells"
Abstract:
The effect of lycopene alone or in association with other antioxidents was studied on the growth of two different human prostate carcinoma cell lines (the androgen insensitive DU-145 and PC-3). It was found that lycopene alone was not a potent inhibitor of prostate carcinoma cell proliferation. However, the simlutaneous addition of lycopene together with alpha-tocopherol, at physiological concentrations (less than 1 microM and 50 microM, respectively), resulted in a strong inhibitory effect of prostate carcinoma cell proliferation, which reached values close to 90%. The effect of lycopene with alpha-tocopherol, was synergistic and was not shared by beta-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and probucol.