Use of dietary phytochemicals to target inflammation, fibrosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis in uterine tissues: Promising options for prevention and treatment of uterine fibroids?

Md Soriful Islam, Most Mauluda Akhtar, Andrea Ciavattini, Stefano Raffaele Giannubilo, Olga Protic, Milijana Janjusevic, Antonio Domenico Procopio, James H. Segars, Mario Castellucci, Pasquapina Ciarmela

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids, myomas) are the most common benign tumors of female reproductive tract. They are highly prevalent, with 70-80% of women burdened by the end of their reproductive years. Fibroids are a leading cause of pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal bleeding, pressure on the bladder, miscarriage, and infertility. They are the leading indication for hysterectomy, and costs exceed 6 billion dollars annually in the United States. Unfortunately, no long-term medical treatments are available. Dysregulation of inflammatory processes are thought to be involved in the initiation of leiomyoma and extracellular matrix deposition, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis are the key cellular events implicated in leiomyoma growth. In modern pharmaceutical industries, dietary phytochemicals are used as source of new potential drugs for many kinds of tumors. Dietary phytochemicals may exert therapeutic effects by interfering with key cellular events of the tumorigenesis process. At present, a negligible number of phytochemicals have been tested as therapeutic agents against fibroids. In this context, our aim was to introduce some of the potential dietary phytochemicals that have shown anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antifibrotic, and antiangiogenic activities in different biological systems. This review could be useful to stimulate the evaluation of these phytochemicals as possible therapies for uterine fibroids.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1667-1684
Number of pages18
JournalMolecular Nutrition and Food Research
Volume58
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antifibrotic
  • Antiproliferative
  • Dietary phytochemicals
  • Inflammation
  • Uterine fibroid

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Food Science

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