apigenin and Lung-Neoplasms

Sixteen compounds (1-16) isolated from the flowering whole plant of Ajuga decumbens have been tested for their inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) induction by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), as a primary screening test for antitumor-promoters (potential cancer chemopreventive agents). Five compounds (6, 9, and 12-14) showed strong inhibitory effects on EBV-EA induction. Of these active compounds, two major constituents of this plant, cyasterone (6) and 8-acetylharpagide (13), showed potent antitumor-promoting activities on a mouse-skin in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis procedure, using 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene as initiator and TPA as promoter. Further, compound 13 also exhibited potent chemopreventive activity in a mouse pulmonary tumor model.

Topics: 4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Antiviral Agents; Carcinogens; Female; Glycerol; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Lung Neoplasms; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Papilloma; Plants, Medicinal; Skin Neoplasms; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; Tumor Cells, Cultured