EFFECT OF ISOFLAVONES GENISTEIN AND DAIDZEIN IN THE INHIBITION OF LUNG METASTASIS IN MICE INDUCED BY B16F-10 MELANOMA-CELLS

Two dietary soybean isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, were studied for the inhibition of lung metastasis induced by B16F-10 melanoma cell s in C57BL/6 mice. The isoflavone genistein at 200 mu mol/kg body wt s ignificantly inhibited (53.6%, p < 0.001) lung tumor nodule formation. The lung collagen hydroxyproline content and the serum sialic acid le vel, a marker of metastasis, were also significantly lower in these an imals than in untreated tumor-bearing animals. Genistein treatment als o increased the life span of the tumor-bearing animals (47.7%, p < 0.0 01). The isoflavone daidzein had no significant effect on the reductio n of lung metastasis induced by B16F-10 melanoma cells.