Growth rates of a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line are regulated by the milk protein alpha-lactalbumin

Abstract

The whey protein α-lactalbumin, derived from human milk, has been shown to inhibit proliferation of mammary epithelial cells and rat kidney cells. We have shown that bovine α-lactalbumin also has antiproliferative effects in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. During a 5-day dose-dependent growth study, bovine α-lactalbumin was added to Caco-2 or HT-29 monolayers in amounts from 5 to 35 μg/mL. Low concentrations of α-lactalbumin (10-25 μg/mL) stimulated growth during the first 3 to 4 days. After growing for 4 days, proliferation ceased and viable cell numbers decreased dramatically in the α-lactalbumin-treated cultures, suggesting a delayed initiation of apoptosis. This experiment demonstrates the acute bioactive effects of small concentrations of α-lactalbumin, compared with the high concentrations of other proteins in the media. These results suggest that α-lactalbumin in milk may promote health by inhibiting growth of potential cancer cells. Further studies will identify the role of calcium in the bioactivity of α-lactalbumin.