Effect of palm oil carotene on breast cancer tumorigenicity in nude mice.
Biological therapies are new additions to breast cancer treatment. Among biological compounds, beta-carotene has been reported to have immune modulatory effects, in particular, enhancement of natural killer cell activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by macrophages. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of palm carotene supplementation on the tumorigenicity of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells injected into athymic nude mice and to explore the mechanism by which palm carotenes suppress tumorigenesis. Forty-eight 4-wk-old mice were injected with 1 x 10(6) MCF-7 cells into their mammary fat pad. The experimental group was supplemented with palm carotene whereas the control group was not. Significant differences were observed in tumor incidence (P< 0.001) and tumor surface area and metastasis to lung (P< 0.005) between the two groups. Natural killer (NK) cells and B-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of carotene-supplemented mice were significantly increased (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) compared with controls. These results suggest that palm oil carotene is able to modulate the immune system by increasing peripheral blood NK cells and B-lymphocytes and suppress the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.
Nesaretnam
Kalanithi
K
Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor. sarnesar@mpob.gov.my
Radhakrishnan
Ammu
A
Selvaduray
Kanga Rani
KR
Reimann
Karin
K
Pailoor
Jayalakshmi
J
Razak
Ghazali
G
Mahmood
Mina Mustafa
MM
Dahliwal
Jasbir Singh
JS
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010938:Plant Oils; D019207:beta Carotene; D000073878:Palm Oil