NISCAIR Online Periodicals Repository Collection: IJEB Vol.49(11) [November 2011]

Transforming growth factor 2: A predictive marker for breast cancer

Title: Transforming growth factor 2: A predictive marker for breast cancer

Authors: Dave, Heena; Trivedi, Sunil; Shah, Manoj; Shukla, Shilin

Abstract: Dual role of TGF- signaling in breast tumorigenesis as an inhibitor in early stages and promoter in advanced stages has been well established and known as TGF- switch. However, the biological mechanisms needs to be explored. Aim of the present study was to look for the usefulness of TGF-2 as a predictive marker for breast cancer and to offer a better predictability to identify patients likely to benefit from antiTGF- strategies. Circulatory as well as transcript levels of TGF-2 were estimated from 118 pretherapeutic breast cancer patients using ELISA and q-PCR with ddCt method. Multifactorial analysis was performed to correlate the results to clinico-pathological prognosticators and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with a median follow-up of 49 months was also evaluated. Circulating TGF-2 was similar in control and breast cancer patients. TGF-2 was significantly upregulated in advanced tumors compared to early tumors. An inverse correlation was observed between TGF-2 protein and mRNA; nevertheless both exhibited significant correlations with clinico-pathological prognosticators. Higher expression of TGF-2 mRNA was connected to an early relapse in advanced stage than early stage patients. It is the first report to evaluate circulatory and transcript levels exhibiting TGF- switch and confirming the utility of TGF-2 as an important predictive marker for breast cancer.

Page(s): 879-887

Induction of apoptosis by eugenol in human breast cancer cells

Title: Induction of apoptosis by eugenol in human breast cancer cells

Authors: Vidhya, N; Devaraj, S Niranjali

Abstract: In the present study, potential anticancer effect of eugenol on inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells was investigated. Induction of cell death by eugenol was evaluated following MTT assay and monitoring lactate dehydrogenase released into the culture medium for cell viability and cytotoxicity, giemsa staining for morphological alterations, fluorescence microscopy analysis of cells using ethidium bromide and acridine orange and quantitation of DNA fragments for induction of apoptosis. Effect of eugenol on intracellular redox status of the human breast cancer cells was assessed by determining the level of glutathione and lipid peroxidation products (TBARS). Eugenol treatment inhibited the growth and proliferation of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells through induction of cell death, which was dose and time dependent. Microscopic examination of eugenol treated cells showed cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing and apoptotic body formation. Further, eugenol treatment also depleted the level of intracellular glutathione and increased the level of lipid peroxidation. The dose dependent increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells and DNA fragments suggested that apoptosis was involved in eugenol induced cell death and apoptosis might have played a role in the chemopreventive action of eugenol.

Page(s): 871-878

Chemomodulatory potential of Glycine max against murine skin and cervical papillomagenesis

Title: Chemomodulatory potential of Glycine max against murine skin and cervical papillomagenesis

Authors: Singh, M; Mendez, E; Rao, A Ramesha; Kale, R K

Abstract: In the present study, chemopreventive potential of Glycine max (G. Max) seeds was examined against DMBA-induced skin and MCA-induced cervical papillomagenesis in Swiss albino mice. Different doses (2.5, 5, and 7.5% w/w) of G. max were provided to animals in feed. Results exhibited a significant reduction in skin as well as cervical tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity (up to 75%) at all doses of test diet as compared to the control. Relatively, 7.5% test diet was most effective in protecting the animals against carcinogenesis. Further, detoxifying enzymes and antioxidative status was also evaluated in the liver of mice to understand the role of G. max in prevention of cancer. It was observed that the test diet containing G. max significantly elevated the specific activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), DT-diaphorase (DTD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glyoxalase I (Gly I). The test diet also elevated the content of reduced glutathione whereas it decreased the level of the peroxidative damage along with the specific activity of lactate dehydrogenase. It appeared that G. max seeds provided chemoprevention against skin and cervical papillomagenesis probably by modulating the detoxifying and antioxidative enzymes. It could be inferred that intake of G. max might help in reducing the risk of cancer.

Page(s): 864-870

Chemoprotective influence of Zanthoxylum sps. on hepatic carcinogen metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes and skin papillomagenesis in murine model

Title: Chemoprotective influence of Zanthoxylum sps. on hepatic carcinogen metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes and skin papillomagenesis in murine model

Authors: Rajamani, Paulraj; Banerjee, Sanjeev; Rao, A Ramesha

Abstract: In the present study, the putative potential of pericarp of dried fruit of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae Family), a common spice additive in India’s west coast cuisines, in protecting against carcinogenesis has been reported. Extract from dried fruit of Zanthoxylum was orally administered to mice at two dose levels: 100 and 200 mg/kg body wt. for 14 days. Results reveal bifunctional nature of Zanthoxylum species as deduced from its potential to induce phase-I and phase-II enzyme activities associated with carcinogen activation and detoxification in the liver of mice. Hepatic glutathione S-transferase and DT-diaphorase were found significantly elevated by the treatment. Zanthoxylum was also effective in augmenting the antioxidant enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase albeit significantly by high dose of the extract (P<0.05; P<0.01). Reduced glutathione was also significantly elevated in the liver of treated animals (P<0.05). The present study also investigated peri-initiation application of acetone extract of Zanthoxylum on initiated mouse skin. Results showed a significant reduction in tumor incidence from 68% to 36% (P<0.05); as well as, a reduction in tumor burden per effective mouse from 3.87 to 0.72 (P<0.01). Cumulatively, the findings strongly suggest cancer chemo-preventive potential of Zanthoxylum sps.

Page(s): 857-863