Tomato Paste Alters NF-κB and Cancer-Related mRNA Expression in Prostate Cancer Cells, Xenografts, and Xenograft Microenvironment

Abstract

Tomatoes may protect against prostate cancer development, possibly through targeting signaling pathways such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). We investigated whether tomato paste could modulate NF-κB activity and cancer-related gene expression in human derived prostate cancer cells (PC3) and PC3 xenografts. PC3-cells were stably transduced with an NF-κB-luciferase construct, and treated with tomato extracts or vehicle control. Nude mice bearing PC3 xenografts were fed a Western-like diet with or without 10% tomato paste for 6.5 wk. The tomato diet significantly inhibited TNFα stimulated NF-κB activity in cultured PC3 cells, and modulated the expression of genes associated with inflammation, apoptosis, and cancer progression. Accumulation of lycopene occurred in liver, xenografts, and serum of mice fed tomato diet. Tomato paste in the diet did not affect tumor size in mice; however, there was a trend toward inhibition of NF-κB activity in the xenografts. The effect of tomato on gene expression was most prominent in the xenograft microenvironment, where among others NFKB2, STAT3, and STAT6 showed higher expression levels after tomato treatment. Our findings support biological activity of tomatoes in cancer-related inflammation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to Anette Solli Karlsen and Amrit Kaur Sakhi for performing the HPLC analyses of food-samples. Thanks to Torunn E. Tjelle and Kari Holte for technical assistance during the animal experiment.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the Throne Holst Foundation and the Norwegian Research Council.