Therapeutic effect of hydroethanolic extract of Trianthema portulacastrum L. against N-Nitroso-N-Methylurea-induced mammary tumors in Wistar rats

Abstract

This study evaluated the therapeutic action of hydroethanolic extract of <em>Trianthema portulacastrum </em>L. (TPE) on N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU)-induced mammary tumors in Wistar rats. A hydroethanolic was prepared and subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening. After acclimatization, Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each: Group A (vehicle control), Group B (TPE control), Group C (TPE treatment) and group D (NMU control). NMU (50 mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally at 50, 80 and 110 days of age. After the induction of palpable tumors, the rats were administered 200 mg/kg bw of TPE by oral gavage for 2 months. The treatment with TPE significantly (p<0.05) decreased tumor incidence, frequency, size and malignancy in comparison to the tumor-bearing rats that were not administered TPE. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that TPE treatment significantly reduced the expression of PCNA, VEGF, ER-α and ER-β, and caused non-significant reductions in matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9). Caspase-3 expression significantly increased in TPE-treated rats in comparison with NMU-treated controls. The qRT-PCR results showed PCNA and ER-β expression was down regulated and caspase-3 expression was up regulated in the TPE-treated group. The present study showed the <em>in vivo </em>therapeutic action of TPE extract on NMU-induced mammary tumors. TPE exhibited antitumor activity through its antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, pro-apoptotic, and estrogen receptor-modulatory properties.