RESUMO
Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) is an isothiocyanate which is a major constituent of watercress and other cruciferous vegetables. Its chemopreventive potential has been previously shown in various rodent models of cancer. In this study, we investigated the chemopreventive efficacy of PEITC in the Apc(Min/+) mouse model. Apc(Min/+) mice were fed with diet supplemented with 0.05% of PEITC for 3-wk. Our results clearly demonstrated that Apc(Min/+) mice fed with PEITC supplemented diet developed significantly less (31.7% reduction) and smaller polyps in comparison to mice fed with the standard AIN-76A diet. Subsequent mechanistic study using Western blotting shows that inhibition of growth of adenomas by PEITC is associated with increase of apoptosis (cleaved-caspase-3, -caspase-7, and PARP). Treatments also led to the inhibition of cell cycle-related biomarkers such as the cyclins (D1, A, and E) and activation of p21. However, PEITC has no effect on the expression of p-Erk, p-JNK or p-p38. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that PEITC is a potent natural dietary compound for chemoprevention of gastrointestinal cancers. Its mechanism of actions may include induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.
Assuntos
Polipose Adenomatosa do Colo/prevenção & controle , Anticarcinógenos/uso terapêutico , Genes APC/fisiologia , Neoplasias Intestinais/prevenção & controle , Isotiocianatos/uso terapêutico , Polipose Adenomatosa do Colo/genética , Animais , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Apoptose/fisiologia , Western Blotting , Caspases/metabolismo , Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Ciclo Celular/fisiologia , Quimioprevenção , Suplementos Nutricionais , Neoplasias Intestinais/genética , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por Mitógeno/metabolismoRESUMO
The nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a critical role in protecting various tissues against inflammation, which is a potential risk factor for colorectal and other cancers. Our previously published mouse model work showed that Nrf2 helps protect against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis/inflammation, and others have shown that Nrf2 helps protect against inflammation-associated colorectal carcinogenesis (aberrant crypt foci). The present study extended these important earlier findings by exploring the role of Nrf2 in colitis-associated colorectal cancer in a mouse model involving azoxymethane/DSS-induced colorectal carcinogenesis in Nrf2 knockout mice. Azoxymethane/DSS-treated Nrf2 knockout mice had increased incidence, multiplicity, and size of all colorectal tumors, including adenomas, versus treated wild-type (WT) mice, and the proportion of tumors that were adenocarcinoma was much higher in knockout (80%) versus WT (29%) mice. Compared with WT mice, knockout mice also had increased markers of inflammation in tumor tissue (cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase expressions and prostaglandin E(2) and leukotriene B(4) levels) and in inflamed colonic mucosa (nitrotyrosine expression), supporting the association of knockout mouse tumor formation with inflammation. The phase II detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes NAD(P)H-quinone reductase 1 and UDP-glucurosyltransferase 1A1 were elevated in the normal mucosa of WT, but not Nrf 2 knockout, mice treated with azoxymethane/DSS. Our findings show that Nrf2 plays a critical role in protecting against inflammation-associated colorectal cancer.