title: Cancare-a herbal formulation inhibits chemically induced tumours in experimental animals.
abstract: Cancer chemopreventive potential of Cancare, a multi-herbal formulation on chemically induced tumours was studied by N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and 20-methylcholanthrene (20-MC) induced sarcoma development in mice. Oral administration of Cancare was found to inhibit the liver tumour development induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine. Animals administered with NDEA had visible liver tumours by the end of 30th weeks and the liver weight was raised to 6.1 +/- 1.4 g/ 100 g body wt. None of the animals treated with Cancare (150 mg/ kg) developed any visible liver tumours by this period and the liver weight was 3.0 +/- 0.6 g/ 100 g body wt. Gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase, a marker of hepatocellularcarcinoma, which was raised to 83.7 +/- 8. 9 U/l in serum of NDEA treated group was reduced to 35.2 +/- 6.1 U/l by simultaneous administration of Cancare. Elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, bilirubin, liver glutathione S-transferase, glutathione and gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase in the NDEA administered group was significantly reduced by Cancare administration. Cancare administration inhibited the sarcoma development and increased the life span of mice administered with 20-MC dose dependently. All animals in the control group developed sarcomas by 150th day and dead by 174th day after 20-MC administration. Cancare administration (30 mg and 150 mg/kg) inhibited the sarcoma development (46.7 and 60%) as well as increased the life span (53.3 and 66.7%) as estimated on 240th day after 20-MC administration. The results are indicative of the chemopreventive potential of Cancare against chemically induced neoplasmas.
authors.affiliation: Amala Cancer Research Centre, Thrissur, India.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Rajeshkumar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuttan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D008748:Methylcholanthrene / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D008748:Methylcholanthrene