The cruciferous vegetables such as Chinese cabbages and broccoli are known to have anticancer phytochemicals, and the consumption of cruciferous vegetables has been proposed to protect against various cancers. The anticarcinogenic properties of some Chinese cabbage extracts and sulforaphane glucosinolate (SFN) were assessed by examining their ability to prevent the inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in WB-F344 normal rat liver epithelial cells. The cells were preincubated with Chinese cabbage extracts and SFN for 24 h followed by cotreatment with cells and H2O2 (750 microM) for 1 h. Chinese cabbage extracts and SFN prevented the inhibition of GJIC and phosphorylation of gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) by H2O2 treatment. Chinese cabbage extracts and SFN were able to prevent the inhibition of GJIC through the blocking of Cx43 phosphorylaton and inactivation of ERK 1/2 and p38 MAP kinase. The results suggest that cruciferous vegetables and their components, SFN, may exert the anticancer effect by targeting the GJIC as a functional dietary chemopreventive agent.