in Breast Cancer

Dry Extract of the Roots of Rheum Rhaponticum (ERr 731®) Potentially Protect from Invasive Breast Cancer.

Abstract:

In the MARIE study (breast cancer risk factor investigation) a German population based case‐control study of the hospital of the University Hamburg‐Eppendorf in cooperation with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg the influence of herbal preparations for menopausal symptoms on the potential risk for breast cancer was investigated in 10,121 women [1]: for ERr 731 for the first time a potential protective association to breast cancer risk could be demonstrated.

Both oestrogen receptor (ER) independent and ER‐dependent effects may influence the development of breast cancer [2]. Investigations with ERr 731® and its compounds have shown that they activate and bind to ERβ in different cell lines with high specificity [3, 4]. In endometrial cancer cells ERr 731® activated ERβ exclusively [4] and in osteosarcome cells with high preference [3]. In contrast neither ERr 731® nor its compounds and its metabolites resveratrol und piceatannol either activated ERα [3,4].

ERr 731® is a high selective oestrogen receptor‐β agonist and this receptor‐activation may be relevant for the therapeutic effect of ERr 731® [5]. A uterotrofic assay with ovariectomieced rats [6] supports the observations from clinical studies [8,9,10,11,12,13] and experimental toxicity studies in animals with dogs [7] and rats to that effect that ERr 731® obviously does not stimulate the proliferation of the uterus mucosa.

[1] Obi N, Chang‐Claude J, Berger J et al. The use of herbal preparations to alleviate climactericdisorders and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in a German case‐control study. CancerEpidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009; 18: 2207–2213.
[2] Yue W, Wang JP, Li Y et al. Effects of estrogen on breast cancer development: Role of estrogenreceptor independent mechanisms. Int J Cancer 2010; 127: 1748–1757.
[3] Möller F, Zierau O, Jandausch A et al. Subtype‐specific activation of estrogen receptors by aspecial extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731), its aglycones and structurally related compounds inU2OS human osteosarcoma cells. Phytomedicine 2007; 14: 716–726.
[4] Wober J, Möller F, Richter T et al. Activation of estrogen receptor‐beta by a special extract ofRheum rhaponticum (ERr 731), its aglycones and structurally related compounds. J Steroid BiochemMolBiol 2007;107: 191–201.
[5] Vollmer G, Papke A, Zierau O. Treatment of menopausal symptoms by an extract from the rootsof rhapontic rhubarb: the role of estrogen receptors. Chin Med 2010; 5: 7.
[6] Papke A, Kretzschmar G, Zierau O et al. Effects of the special extract ERr 731® from Rheumrhaponticum on estrogen‐regulated targets in the uterotrophy model of ovariectomized rats. JSteroid BiochemMolBiol 2009; 117: 176–184.
[7] Kaszkin–Bettag M, Richardson A, Rettenberger R, Heger PW. Long‐term toxicity studies in dogssupport the safety of the special extract ERr 731 from the roots of Rheum rhaponticum. Food ChemToxicol 2008; 46: 1608–1618.
[8] Heger M, Ventskovskiy BM, Borzenko I et al.Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheumrhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: A 12‐weekrandomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial. Menopause 2006; 13:744–759.
[9] Kaszkin‐Bettag M, Ventskovskiy BM, Kravchenko A et al. The special extract ERr 731 of the rootsof Rheum rhaponticum decreases anxiety and improves health state and general well‐being inperimenopausalwomen. Menopause 2007; 14: 270–283.
[10] Hasper I, Ventskovskiy BM, Rettenberger R et al. Long‐term efficacy and safety of the specialextract ERr 731 of Rheum rhaponticum in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints. Menopause 2009; 16:117–131.
[11] Kaszkin‐Bettag M, Ventskovskiy B, Solskyy S et al. Confirmation of the efficacy of ERr 731® inperimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms. AlternTher Health Med 2009; 15: 24–34.
[12] Kaszkin‐Bettag M, Beck S, Richardson A et al. Efficacy of the special extract ERr 731 fromrhapontic rhubarb for menopausal complaints: A 6‐month open observational study. AlternTherHealth Med 2008; 14: 32–38.
[13] Chang L, Montalto M, Heger PW, Thiemann E, Rettenberger R, Wacker J, Rheum rhaponticumextract (ERr 731®) post‐marketing data on safety surveillance and consumer complaints, IntegrativeMedicine, Vol 15, No. 3, June 2016, 34‐39.

Presentation at the „Cancer Pharmacology Research“ conference at St. John’s University, Queens, NY on the 16. December 2017.