ascorbic-acid and Leukoplakia

In a clinical trial the effect of chemoprevention with beta-carotene, vitamin E and C on dysplastic tissue was studied. The study included 24 patients with oral leukoplakia and 24 patients after radical resection of a primary oral cancer. There was a reduction of increased cell kinetic parameters like the S-phase portion or the average number of nuclear-organizer regions (NOR) per cell nucleus, a decrease of the micronuclei portion and a normalization of the cytokeratin gene-expression. The general response was 97.5%. Stopping the alcohol and tobacco abuse the effect of the antioxidative vitamins on redifferentiation of the oral mucosa was more intense than by persistance of the alcohol and tobacco abuse, but a long term prevention seems to be ineffective.

Topics: Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; beta Carotene; Biopsy; Cell Differentiation; Cohort Studies; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Keratins; Leukoplakia; Mouth Mucosa; Mouth Neoplasms; Nucleolus Organizer Region; S Phase; Time Factors; Vitamin E

Previous studies have shown that beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol can act synergistically to inhibit the growth of experimentally induced oral cancer. The initial studies on the synergistic anticancer activity of antioxidants have been extended to include reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid. Sixty male hamsters (4-5 wks old) were divided into six equal groups. Groups 1-6 were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) (0.5% solution). Group 2 received a mixture containing equal amounts of beta-carotene, dl-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), glutathione, and l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (12.5 micrograms) delivered orally by pipette. Groups 3-6 were treated with beta-carotene alone (50 micrograms), vitamin E alone (50 micrograms), glutathione (50 micrograms) alone, and vitamin C alone (50 micrograms). Animals were euthanized at 12 and 14 weeks. Tumors were counted and measured, and tumor burden was calculated for each experimental group. The mixture of antioxidants significantly reduced tumor burden, whereas the beta-carotene, vitamin E, and reduced glutathione treatments also reduced tumor burden. beta-Carotene and glutathione provided greater levels of chemoprevention than vitamin E as single agents. In contrast, vitamin C treatment produced no antitumor effect but increased tumor burden by Week 14. This mixture of antioxidants produced a significant synergistic chemoprevention of oral cancer.

Topics: 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; Administration, Oral; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; beta Carotene; Carotenoids; Cricetinae; Drug Combinations; Drug Synergism; Glutathione; Leukoplakia; Male; Mesocricetus; Mouth Neoplasms; Vitamin E

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Blood Chemical Analysis; Calcium; Carotenoids; Drug Therapy; Humans; Leukoplakia; Leukoplakia, Oral; Liver; Mouth Diseases; Pathology; Phosphorus; Strontium; Thyroid Hormones; Tongue Diseases; Toxicology; Vitamin A

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Balanitis; Candidiasis, Oral; Carbonates; Female; Gastritis; Gingivitis; Herpes Simplex; Humans; Leukoplakia; Male; Mycoses; Osteomyelitis; Pressure Ulcer; Stomatitis; Tonsillitis; Vulvitis