Anti-cancer through stress reduction with kava.
Cancer can be caused by a multitude of different scenarios; however, this study focuses on the function of stress hormones and their causative role in lung cancer, and how kavalactones inhibits some of these effects. Psychological stress has been best known for the release of neuronal hormones such as norepinephrine. Norepinephrine (NE) binds to and activates receptors known as “adrenergic receptors” or AR. The binding of NE to AR induces intracellular calcium influx which activates downstream signaling pathways involved in both stress and cancer development. In this study they were able to show that all 6 major kavalactones play a role in inhibiting norepinephrine-induced calcium influx, with DHK being the most potent and DHM being the least. The table included in the picture shows the different kavalactones with concentrations and their effect on NE-induced intracellular influx. These results continue to lend evidence to emerging research of kava as an anti-cancer agent.
Botello JF, Corral P, Bian T, Xing C. Kava and its Kavalactones Inhibit Norepinephrine-induced Intracellular Calcium Influx in Lung Cancer Cells. Planta Med. 2020 Jan;86(1):26-31. doi: 10.1055/a-1035-5183. Epub 2019 Nov 11. Erratum in: Planta Med. 2020 Jan;86(1):e2. PMID: 31711251.
Cancer can be caused by a multitude of different scenarios; however, this study focuses on the function of stress hormones and their causative role in lung cancer, and how kavalactones inhibits some of these effects. Psychological stress has been best known for the release of neuronal hormones such as norepinephrine. Norepinephrine (NE) binds to and activates receptors known as “adrenergic receptors” or AR. The binding of NE to AR induces intracellular calcium influx which activates downstream signaling pathways involved in both stress and cancer development. In this study they were able to show that all 6 major kavalactones play a role in inhibiting norepinephrine-induced calcium influx, with DHK being the most potent and DHM being the least. The table included in the picture shows the different kavalactones with concentrations and their effect on NE-induced intracellular influx. These results continue to lend evidence to emerging research of kava as an anti-cancer agent.
Botello JF, Corral P, Bian T, Xing C. Kava and its Kavalactones Inhibit Norepinephrine-induced Intracellular Calcium Influx in Lung Cancer Cells. Planta Med. 2020 Jan;86(1):26-31. doi: 10.1055/a-1035-5183. Epub 2019 Nov 11. Erratum in: Planta Med. 2020 Jan;86(1):e2. PMID: 31711251.