Chemopreventive action of mace (Myristica fragrans, Houtt) on methylcholanthrene-induced carcinogenesis in the uterine cervix in mice.
The present paper reports the chemopreventive action of mace (aril covering the testa of the seed of Myristica fragrans) on 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced carcinogenesis in the uterine cervix of virgin, young adult, Swiss albino mice. Placement of cotton-thread impregnated with beeswax containing MCA (approximately 600 micrograms) inside the canal of the uterine cervix results in the appearance of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the cervical epithelium. In this experiment using the cervical carcinogenesis model system, if mace was administered orally at the dose level of 10 mg/mouse per day for 7 days before and 90 days following carcinogen thread insertion, the cervical carcinoma incidence, as compared with that of the control (73.9%), was 21.4%. This decline in the incidence of carcinoma was highly significant (P less than 0.001). The incidence of precancerous lesions did not display any definite association with different treatments.
Hussain
S P
SP
Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
Rao
A R
AR
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003212:Condiments; D005260:Female; D008748:Methylcholanthrene; D051379:Mice; D012639:Seeds; D014197:Trees; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008748:Methylcholanthrene