Autophagy is a fundamental catabolic process of cellular survival. The role of autophagy in
cancer is highly complex: in the early stages of neoplastic transformation, it can act as a
tumor suppressor avoiding the accumulation of
proteins, damaged organelles, and
reactive oxygen species (ROS), while during the advanced stages of
cancer, autophagy is exploited by
cancer cells to survive under
starvation. 6-(Methylsulfonyl) hexyl
isothiocyanate (6-MITC) is the most interesting compound in the Wasabia Japonica rizhome. Recently, we proved its ability to induce cytotoxic,
cytostatic, and cell differentiation effects on leukemic cell lines and its antimutagenic activity on TK6 cells. In the current study, to further define its chemopreventive profile, Jurkat and HL-60 cells were treated with
6-MITC for 24 h. The modulation of the autophagic process and the involvement of ROS levels as a possible trigger mechanisms were analyzed by flow cytometry. We found that
6-MITC induced autophagy in Jurkat and HL-60 cells at the highest concentration tested and increased ROS intracellular levels in a dose-dependent manner. Our results implement available data to support
6-MITC as an attractive potential chemopreventive agent.