The human prostate adenocarcinoma cell lines LNCaP-FGC and PC-3 are grown as adherent monolayers in 10% FBS-DMEM, supplemented with 4.0 g/L glucose and 3.7 g/L sodium bicarbonate in a humidified incubator at 37°C and 5% CO₂, and passaged at ~80% confluency. Cultures used in subsequent experiments are at less than 40 passages. Cells grown in stripped conditions are in 5% DCC-FBS-DMEM base supplemented with 4 g/L glucose, 3.7 g/L sodium bicarbonate, and 0.293 g/L L-glutamine. Before the beginning of the treatments, cells are depleted of androgen for 4-7 days in medium composed of DMEM base without phenol red and with 4 g/L glucose and 3.7 g/L sodium bicarbonate. During the depletion period, medium is changed every 48 h. Treatments are administered by the addition of 1 μL of a 1,000-fold concentrated solution of 3,3'-Diindolylmethane in Me₂SO/mL of medium. Once the treatment period started, medium is changed daily to counter possible loss of readily metabolized compounds^[1].

MCE has not independently confirmed the accuracy of these methods. They are for reference only.

Mice^[2]
Four-week-old female SPF/VAF immunodeficient mice are injected subcutaneously (s.c.) into the right flank with 0.1 mL Matrigel containing 3.5×10⁶ human gastric cancer cells (SNU-484). The mice are randomized into 2 groups 1 week after tumor implantation: i) the untreated control group (n=5, DMSO in 50 μL PBS daily) and ii) the 3,3'-Diindolylmethane-treated group (n=5, 10 mg/kg in 50 μL PBS once daily). Gastric primary tumors are excised, and the final tumor volume is measured once every 3 days using a caliper and calculated as (width)²×length/2. The experiment is terminated on day 39. Half of the tumor tissue is prepared for western blotting and the other half is snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at ?80°C.

MCE has not independently confirmed the accuracy of these methods. They are for reference only.

• [1]. Le HT, et al. Plant-derived 3,3'-Diindolylmethane is a strong androgen antagonist in human prostate cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jun 6;278(23):21136-45.  [Content Brief]

  [2]. Li XJ, et al. 3,3'-Diindolylmethane suppresses the growth of gastric cancer cells via activation of the Hippo signaling pathway. Oncol Rep. 2013 Nov;30(5):2419-26.  [Content Brief]