Molecular aspects of medicine
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Elucidation of estrogen carcinogenesis required a few fundamental discoveries made by studying the mechanism of carcinogenesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The two major mechanisms of metabolic activation of PAH involve formation of radical cations and diol epoxides as ultimate carcinogenic metabolites. These intermediates react with DNA to yield two types of adducts: stable adducts that remain in DNA unless removed by repair and depurinating adducts that are lost from DNA by cleavage of the glycosyl bond between the purine base and deoxyribose. ⋯ The dietary supplements resveratrol and N-acetylcysteine can act as preventing cancer agents by keeping estrogen metabolism balanced. These two compounds can reduce the formation of catechol estrogen quinones and/or their reaction with DNA. Therefore, resveratrol and N-acetylcysteine provide a widely applicable, inexpensive approach to preventing many of the prevalent types of human cancer.