发表在11月的《美国实验生物学学会联合会杂志》（The FASEB Journal，FASEB J）上的文章表示，下一代的癌症药物或许将直接来自于食品店。文章中法国科学家描述了高低剂量多酚的不同作用。其中最值得关注的是，高剂量的抗氧化多酚通过切断肿瘤生长所需要的新血管形成来关闭和阻碍肿瘤发生。多酚物质普遍存在于红酒、水果、蔬菜和绿茶中。
而在相对较低的剂量时，法国小组发现同样的多酚能促进血管生长，这有利于心脏和心血管系统。其剂量相当于每天一杯红酒或食用含多酚的蔬菜水果的健康饮食，这种饮食被称为“地中海饮食”。
以上结果还进一步支持了一种学说：很多常用物质效果都依赖于剂量。例如在去年10月的The FASEB Journal上，科学家表示阿司匹林在作用于心脏病和癌症方面同样依赖于剂量。The FASEB Journal主编Gerald Weissmann博士表示：“当我们寻找复杂疾病的治疗手段时，答案或许就存在于一些未曾想到的地方，例如最近的食品商店。而现代科学需要分离出纯物质，在实验室进行测试，最终才发现对抗疾病的新药物。”
作者表示，需要维持抗癌作用的多酚量大约相当于每天饮用一瓶红酒。这种酒精摄入量无疑是不健康的，但是科学家表示植物和红酒中提取的多酚可以制成药片，这应该是安全的。药片容易制造，成本低并且易于运输。文章主要作者Daniel Henrion表示：“用植物多酚作为治疗工具有很多好处，因为它们安全、价格低廉并且来源广泛。”
Chemical in red wine, fruits and vegetables stops cancer, heart disease, depending on the dose
The next cancer drug might come straight from the grocery store, according to new research published in the November 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal. In the study, French scientists describe how high and low doses of polyphenols have different effects. Most notably, they found that very high doses of antioxidant polyphenols shut down and prevent cancerous tumors by cutting off the formation of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth. Polyphenols are commonly found in red wine, fruits, vegetables, and green tea.
At relatively low doses, the French researchers found that the same polyphenols play a beneficial role for those with diseased hearts and circulatory systems by facilitating blood vessel growth. The amount of polyphenols necessary for this effect was found to be the equivalent of only one glass of red wine per day or simply sticking to a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables containing polyphenols. This diet is known as the “Mediterranean Diet.”
This study also adds to a growing body of research showing dose-dependent relationships for many types of commonly used compounds. For instance, research published in the October 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal shows that aspirin, through different mechanisms, also has a dose-dependent relationship for heart disease and cancer.
"When it comes to finding treatments for complex diseases, the answers are sometimes right there waiting to be discovered in unexpected places like the produce aisles and wine racks of the nearest store,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “But it takes modern science to isolate the pure compound, test it in the lab, and to go on from there to find new agents to fight disease.”
This study also adds to a growing body of research showing dose-dependent relationships for many types of commonly used compounds. For instance, research published in the October 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal shows that aspirin, through different mechanisms, also has a dose-dependent relationship for heart disease and cancer.
"When it comes to finding treatments for complex diseases, the answers are sometimes right there waiting to be discovered in unexpected places like the produce aisles and wine racks of the nearest store,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “But it takes modern science to isolate the pure compound, test it in the lab, and to go on from there to find new agents to fight disease.”
According to the authors, the amount of polyphenols necessary to obtain an anti-cancer effect is the equivalent of drinking about a bottle of red wine each day. This amount of daily alcohol consumption obviously is unhealthy, but the research suggests that polyphenols extracted from plants or red wine could be converted into a pill that is highly likely to be safe. Such a pill also would be relatively easy and inexpensive to create and deliver.
“The use of plant polyphenols as therapeutic tools presents important advantages,” said Daniel Henrion, senior author of the study, “because they have a good safety profile, a low cost and they can be obtained everywhere on the planet.”
Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
“The use of plant polyphenols as therapeutic tools presents important advantages,” said Daniel Henrion, senior author of the study, “because they have a good safety profile, a low cost and they can be obtained everywhere on the planet.”
Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
