ABSTRACT
Cancer is a multistep process that develops very rapidly after its onset. Previous studies have confirmed antitumor effects of curcumin [1,7-bis [4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-l,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione; diferuloylmethane] that can potentially prevent colon cancer development with low side-effects. Different methods have been performed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of curcumin among which dendrosome, a nanoparticle created by Sarbolouki et al. was used in this study. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of dendrosomal curcumin on rat colon cancer. In this study which was performed in Cancer Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2010 year, forty rats were equally divided into control, curcumin and curcumin-dendrosome groups. Animals received azoxymethane [15 mg/kg s.c.], a carcinogen, once a week for two weeks. Curcumin [0.2%] and curcumin-dendrosome were administered to the respective animals 2 weeks before the first and 14 weeks after the last azoxymethane injections. Eventually, colorectal specimens from tumoral and adjacent non-tumoral mucosal tissues were fixed in 10% formaldehyde, and passaged and embedded in paraffin. Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies were performed on the specimens. The mean number of lesions, nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, epithelial stratification, loss of nuclear polarity, goblet depletion, structural abnormality and beta-catenin expression were higher in the control group compared to curcumin and curcumin-dendrosome groups. These parameters had significantly decreased in the dendrosomal curcumin group [P<0.05]. The present study shows that dendrosome can be used as a suitable nanoparticle to increase curcumin efficiency in the prevention or treatment of colon cancer