Effects of capsaicin on induction of c-jun proto-oncogene expression in Fisher-344 rats by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.
N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) is a potent inducer of cellular stress leading to chromosomal aberrations, point mutations, and cell death. To study the effect of capsaicin on c-jun expression when given with MNNG to rats, Fisher-344 rats that had been administered MNNG were treated with capsaicin in their diet and organs were removed for measuring c-jun transcripts. We show that pre- or post-treatment of capsaicin relative to MNNG administration up- or down-regulates (depending on the organ) c-jun expression in a consistent pattern in most organs. In fact, we found in this study that capsaicin inhibits c-jun induction, stimulated by MNNG, in the spleen, heart, stomach and lung. Since MNNG, a methylating agent, is a powerful carcinogen that is very effective in the induction of c-jun mRNA, the results suggest that capsaicin uptake in the diet could play a role in inhibition of tumorigenesis induced by MNNG.
Kim
J M
JM
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Ulsan, South Korea.
Kim
J D
JD
Yu
R
R
Kim
B S
BS
Shin
M K
MK
Han
I S
IS
D000818:Animals; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002273:Carcinogens; D004336:Drug Antagonism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D002273:Carcinogens; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine; D002211:Capsaicin