Abstract Number: 2990 Methyl jasmonate, a plant stress hormone, inhibited proliferation and induced cell death in human prostate cancer cells in culture Daniel E. Ezekwudo and Abiodun Elegbede. University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV. The jasmonates, consisting of cis-jasmone (CJ), methyl jasmonate (MJ), and jasmonic acid (JA) are a family of plant stress hormones. In plants, these compounds activate cellular responses to diverse conditions, including cell death, to protect plants that come under biotic stress such as insect attack or wounding. Human prostate cancer is a hormone-dependent cancer. We studied the effects of the jasmonates on the proliferation of human prostate adenocarcinoma cell lines (PC-3, HTB-81) and the human fibroblast cell line (HFL-1) using the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (MTT) and the colony formation (CFA) assays. The mechanism of inhibition of proliferation by these agents was studied using flow cytometry and western blotting techniques. Cytotoxicity assays showed that the jasmonates inhibited proliferation of the cells in both dose- and kinetic-dependent fashions. The relative efficacy, as measured by the concentration of agent that inhibited proliferation by 50% (IC50) was MJ>>CJ>JA. Flow cytometric and other analyses confirmed that the inhibition of proliferation by these agents was as a result of induction of cell death via apoptosis. Our results indicate a potential application of the jasmonates in the treatment of human prostate cancer. [The work was supported in part by grants from ACS #IRG-103719 and UNLV 2002-2003 Planning Initiative Award (to JAE)]. Presenter: Abiodun Elegbede Affiliation: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV; E-mail: belegbede@ccmail.nevada.edu Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encyclopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.