cytellin and Kidney-Neoplasms

Locally known as 'pecah batu', 'bayam karang', 'keci beling' or 'batu jin', the Malaysian medicinal herb, Strobilanthes crispus (S. crispus), is traditionally used by the local communities as alternative or adjuvant remedy for cancer and other ailments and to boost the immune system. S. crispus has demonstrated multiple anticancer therapeutic potential in vitro and in vivo. A pharmacologically active fraction of S. crispus has been identified and termed as F3. Major constituents profiled in F3 include lutein and β-sitosterol.. In this study, the effects of F3, lutein and β-sitosterol on tumor development and metastasis were investigated in 4T1-induced mouse mammary carcinoma model.. Tumor-bearing mice were fed with F3 (100 mg/kg/day), lutein (50 mg/kg/day) and β-sitosterol (50 mg/kg/day) for 30 days (n = 5 each group). Tumor physical growth parameters, animal body weight and development of secondary tumors were investigated. The safety profile of F3 was assessed using hematological and histomorphological changes on the major organs in normal control mice (NM).. Our findings revealed significant reduction of physical tumor growth parameters in all tumor-bearing mice treated with F3 (TM-F3), lutein (TM-L) or β-sitosterol (TM-β) as compared with the untreated group (TM). Statistically significant reduction in body weight was observed in TM compared to the NM or treated (TM-F3, TM-L and TM-β) groups. Histomorphological examination of tissue sections from the F3-treated group showed normal features of the vital organs (i.e., liver, kidneys, lungs and spleen) which were similar to those of NM. Administration of F3 to NM mice (NM-F3) did not cause significant changes in full blood count values.. F3 significantly reduced the total tumor burden and prevented secondary tumor development in metastatic breast cancer without significant toxicities in 4T1-induced mouse mammary carcinoma model. The current study provides further support for therapeutic development of F3 with further pharmacokinetics studies.

Topics: Acanthaceae; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Female; Kidney Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Lutein; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Plant Extracts; Sitosterols; Splenic Neoplasms; Tumor Burden

The ability of vitamin C to inhibit induction of renal carcinoma by estrogens was tested in male Syrian hamsters in vivo. The animals received estrogen (estradiol or diethylstilbestrol) implants s.c. Hamsters which were continuously given vitamin C, administered in the drinking water for estradiol-treated or in the food for diethylstilbestrol-treated animals, were observed to develop renal carcinoma with a significantly lower incidence (10 of 33 animals with estradiol implants; 14 of 29 animals with diethylstilbestrol implants) than animals which did not receive vitamin C supplementation (16 of 23 animals with estradiol implants; 11 of 13 animals with diethystilbestrol implants). Administration of vitamin C to estradiol-treated hamsters for only the first 3 months of the carcinogenesis experiment had no effect on tumor incidence, but vitamin C in drinking water for the last 3 months also lowered incidence. Vitamin C supplementation did not significantly alter the absorption of estrogen from the implant; it did not change the estrogenic effect on the hamsters nor did it significantly influence estrogen-dependent H-301 tumor cell growth. The results were taken as evidence for a mechanism of tumor induction via oxidation of estrogens to reactive metabolites capable of inducing kidney tumors.

Topics: Absorption; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Cell Division; Cricetinae; Estradiol; Estrogens; Kidney Neoplasms; Male; Mesocricetus; Sitosterols; Testis