[Effects of combined use of curcumin and catechin on cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression in dimethylhydrazine-induced rat colon carcinogenesis].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of combined use of curcumin and catechin on the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in rat colon carcinogenesis. Methods Dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced rats colon carcinogenesis model was used for evaluation of the synergistic inhibitory effect between curcumin and catechin in light of ACF formation and tumor incidence. COX-2 mRNA expression was also detected in rat colon carcinogenesis.


RESULTS
Curcumin, catechin and their co-treatment caused significant inhibition of DMH-induced ACF and colon carcinogenesis as compared with untreated DMH-induced rat models (P<0.01). Co-treatment with curcumin and catechins caused greater inhibition of DMH-induced ACF and colon carcinogenesis than the single use of curcumin or catechin (P<0.05). A synergistic inhibitory effect between curcumin and catechin on the expression of COX-2 mRNA was observed in the early stage of rat colon carcinogenesis but not in colon tumor tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
Curcumin and catechin have synergistic effect on ACF and COX-2 mRNA expression in rat colon carcinogenesis, suggesting their potential value in the prevention of human colon cancers.
Xu
Gang
G
Institute for Digestive Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. xgvip@tom.com
Huang
Wen
W
Zhang
Wei-min
WM
Lai
Zhuo-sheng
ZS
He
Mei-rong
MR
Wang
Ya-dong
YD
Zhang
Ya-li
YL
D019813:1,2-Dimethylhydrazine; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002273:Carcinogens; D002392:Catechin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D002273:Carcinogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002392:Catechin; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D003474:Curcumin; D019813:1,2-Dimethylhydrazine