8-Prenylnaringenin, the phytoestrogen in hops and beer, upregulates the function of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in human mammary carcinoma cells

The E-cadherin/catenin complex is a powerful invasion suppressor in epithel ial cells. It is expressed in the human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line famil y, but functionally defective in the invasive MCF-7/6 variant. Previous exp eriments have shown that IGF-I, tamoxifen, retinoic acid and tangeretin are able to upregulate the function of this complex in MCF-7/6 cells. We inves tigated the effect of 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), the phytoestrogen present in hops and beer, on aggregation, growth and invasion in MCF-7/6 cells. 8-P N was found to stimulate E-cadherin-dependent aggregation and growth of MCF -7/6 cells in suspension. These effects could be inhibited by the pure anti estrogen ICI 182,780.8-PN did not affect invasion of MCF-7/6 cells in the c hick heart assay in vitro. In all these aspects 8-PN mimics the effects of 17 beta -estradiol on MCF-7/6 cells.