In vitro antiproliferative effects of sulforaphane on human colon cancer cell line SW620.

The isothiocyanate sulforaphane (SF) has been reported to possess chemopreventive efficiency towards various malignancies including colon cancer. Here, we investigated the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of SF on colon cancer cell line SW620. We found that SF at concentrations of 10-50 microM inhibits cell viability and proliferation of SW620 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with IC50 being 26 microM (24 h), 24.4 microM (48 h) and 18 microM (72 h). Also, in the same cells SF caused DNA damage and chromatin condensation after 24 h and 48 h as revealed by phospho-H2A.X western blot analysis and DAPI staining of nuclei. These changes were accompanied by the elevated activity of caspase 3, although after 20 microM SF concentration only. Together, these results indicate that SF suppresses growth of human metastacic colonocytes and induces apoptotic cell death.