Genistein and daidzein effects on proliferation, cell membranes, cell cycles and cell apoptosis of different cell lines

Genistein and daidzein are two principle isoflavonoids in soybeans. They have received increasing attention in the past few years because of their possible roles in cancer prevention. Here are provided experimental evidences that genistein could inhibit the growth of human ladder carcinoma cells (ECV-304), human colon cancer cells (HT29), human uterus cervix cancer cells (Hela), and murine transformed muscle cells (3T3). Different from genistein, daidzein could only inhibit the growth of ECV-304, HT29, and 3T3 cells. To elucidate the mechanisms of the anti-tumor effect of genistein and daidzein, fluorescent polarization, circular dichroism, and flow cytometric analysis were employed to study the influence of genistein and daidzein on membrane fluidity and membrane protein conformation of these cell lines. The results showed that genistein increased the order of membrane protein conformation and reduced the membrane fluidity of ECV-304, HT29, and Hela cells. Daidzein also increased the order of membrane protein conformation of ECV-304 and HT29, but had no effect on the membrane fluidity of all these four cell lines. Also demonstrated was that both compounds affected the apoptosis and cell cycle progression of some cell lines. However, the effects of genistein and daidzein were not the same. These evidences suggested that the effects of genistein and daidzein on malignant cells were multisites and multiapproaches, and there were differences between their functional mechanisms. The amelioration effect on cell conditions may represent one of the mechanisms of the effect of genistein and daidzein on the growth, differentiation, and transference of malignant cells