garlic
Attenuation of cell migration and induction of cell death by aged garlic extract in rat sarcoma cells.

Hu X, Cao BN, Hu G, He J, Yang DQ, Wan YS.

Department of Biology, Providence College, Brown University Medical School and VA Medical Center, RI 02918, USA.

Previous studies have shown that aged garlic extract suppresses cancer growth and enhances immune system against cancer, and yet little is known about inhibition of the cancer cell migration. In this study we investigated whether the aged garlic extract inhibits growth and migration of rat sarcoma tumor cells. The suppression of tumor cell growth was demonstrated by counting the cell number in three groups (control, cultured with 10 mg/ml, 20 mg/ml of aged garlic extracts) after culturing for 3 days and 5 days. The results showed that aged garlic extract inhibited the growth of rat sarcoma cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, compared to the numbers of the cells grown in control group. The inhibition of tumor cell migration was examined by measuring the distance of trails left behind by the tumor cells when they passed through the polybeads overnight in four groups (control, 5 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, 20 mg/ml aged garlic extracts). The average distance of trails in control group was 7.44 mm, whereas the average distance of cell movement is only 2.48 mm when treated with the highest concentration (20 mg/ml) of the aged garlic extract. The results also showed that the inhibitory effect of aged garlic extracts on tumor cell migration was dose-dependent. This is the first report to show that the aged garlic extract inhibits rat sarcoma cell migration, a critical feature of tumor cell metastasis. It can be thus envisioned that if tumor cell metastasis could be attenuated if not completely stopped, it would be possible to stabilize the tumor in the local area for surgical removal. The results suggest that garlic, as a natural plant, unlike other cancer treatment methods, may play a role in fighting cancer without significant side effects.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12011982&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Garlic inhibits microsomal triglyceride transfer protein gene expression in human liver and intestinal cell lines and in rat intestine.

Lin MC, Wang EJ, Lee C, Chin KT, Liu D, Chiu JF, Kung HF.

Institute of Molecular Biology, Open Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. mclin hkusua.hku.hk

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that fresh garlic has lipid-lowering activity. Because the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) plays a pivotal role in the assembly and secretion of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins, we evaluated the effect of garlic on the expression of the MTP gene in vitro in cell lines and in vivo in rats. Fresh garlic extract (FGE) reduced MTP mRNA levels in both the human hepatoma HepG2 and intestinal carcinoma Caco-2 cells in dose-dependent fashion; significant reductions were detected with 3 g/L FGE. Maximal 72 and 59% reductions, respectively, were observed with 6 g/L FGE. To evaluate the in vivo effect of garlic on MTP gene expression, rats were given a single oral dose of fresh garlic homogenate (FGH), with hepatic and intestinal MTP mRNA measured 3 h after dosing. Rats fed FGH had significantly (46% of the control) lower intestinal MTP mRNA levels compared with the control rats, whereas hepatic MTP mRNA levels were not affected. These results suggest a new mechanism for the hypolipidemic effect of fresh garlic. Long-term dietary supplementation of fresh garlic may exert a lipid-lowering effect partly through reducing intestinal MTP gene expression, thus suppressing the assembly and secretion of chylomicrons from intestine to the blood circulation.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12042427&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
[Effects of selenium-enriched garlic on blood lipids and lipid peroxidation in experimental hyperlipidemic rats]

[Article in Chinese]

Zhang B, Piao J, Gu L.

Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing 100050, China.

The modulating effects of selenium-enriched garlic on lipid metabolism disorder and lipid peroxidation were studied in hyperlipidemic rats induced by high fat diet. Adult male and female Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups: (A) normal control; (B) high fat diet (HFD) control; (C) HFD + selenite; (D) HFD + selenium-enriched garlic; (E) HFD + common garlic; (F) HFD + common garlic + selenite. The selenium content of diets in groups A, B and E was 0.08 mg/kg diet, while that of the other 3 groups was 2.7 mg/kg diet. At the end of the experimental period (12 weeks), blood and liver were collected for biochemical measurements and for histopathological examination of liver. The results showed that the serum concentrations of TC, TG and LDL-C in groups C, D and F were significantly lower and HDL-C higher than group B. Female rats were more sensitive to HFD exposure than male rats. The peroxidative status of all four experimental groups was significant inhibited as shown by the lower lipid peroxide (MDA) in liver and higher activities of GPX in erythrocytes and liver and SOD in plasma. Selenium contents in liver and kidney of male rats in groups D and F were higher than group C. Significant accumulation of selenium in erythrocytes was observed in groups D and F. The liver of all four experimental groups revealed ameliorated fatty liver induced by HFD. The amelioration of group D was more prominent than other three experimental groups. The results suggested that selenium-enriched garlic is superior to selenite or common garlic in decreasing the blood lipid level and peroxidative status and slightly better than combined common garlic and selenite.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12561539&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Allyl-containing sulfides in garlic increase uncoupling protein content in brown adipose tissue, and noradrenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats.

Oi Y, Kawada T, Shishido C, Wada K, Kominato Y, Nishimura S, Ariga T, Iwai K.

Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Faculty of Home Economics, Kobe Women's University, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-8585, Japan.

The effects of garlic supplementation on triglyceride metabolism were investigated by measurements of the degree of thermogenesis in interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT), and noradrenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats fed two types of dietary fat. In Experiment 1, rats were given isoenergetic high-fat diets containing either shortening or lard with or without garlic powder supplementation (8 g/kg of diet). After 28 d feeding, body weight, plasma triglyceride levels and the weights of perirenal adipose tissue and epididymal fat pad were significantly lower in rats fed diets supplemented with garlic powder than in those fed diets without garlic powder. The content of mitochondrial protein and uncoupling protein (UCP) in IBAT, and urinary noradrenaline and adrenaline excretion were significantly greater in rats fed a lard diet with garlic powder than in those fed the same diet without garlic. Other than adrenaline secretion, differences due to garlic were significant in rats fed shortening, also. In Experiment 2, the effects of various allyl-containing sulfides present in garlic on noradrenaline and adrenaline secretion were evaluated. Administration of diallyldisulfide, diallyltrisulfide and alliin, organosulfur compounds present in garlic, significantly increased plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations, whereas the administration of disulfides without allyl residues, diallylmonosulfide and S-allyl-L-cysteine did not increase adrenaline secretion. These results suggest that in rats, allyl-containing sulfides in garlic enhance thermogenesis by increasing UCP content in IBAT, and noradrenaline and adrenaline secretion.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10024610&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Inhibition of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumors and DNA adducts by garlic powder.

Liu J, Lin RI, Milner JA.

Department of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802.

The present studies determined the influence of dietary supplements of garlic powder (0, 1, 2 or 4%) on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors and on the in vivo occurrence of mammary DMBA-DNA adducts in rats. Diets were offered 2 weeks before and 2 weeks following DMBA treatment (25 mg/kg body wt). An additional group was fed the 2% garlic powder diet throughout the 20 week study. Although food intake and weight gain were not influenced, dietary garlic powder supplementation did significantly delay the onset of first tumors (P < 0.01) and did reduce the final mammary tumor incidence (P < 0.01). Consumption of garlic powder also significantly depressed the in vivo binding of DMBA to mammary cell DNA. Binding of both anti- and syn-dihydrodiol epoxides to DNA was depressed in rats fed supplemental garlic powder. The activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) in mammary and liver tissue from rats fed 2% dietary garlic powder was higher than observed in tissues from rats fed the basal diet. No further increase in GST activity occurred when the dietary garlic content was increased from 2 to 4%. Final mammary tumor incidence was found to correlate positively with total DMBA-DNA binding and the quantities of individual DMBA-DNA adducts. The present studies demonstrate that garlic powder is effective in inhibiting DMBA-induced mammary tumors, possibly by reducing DMBA-DNA binding.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1423843&dopt=Abstract garlic