title: Inhibition of viral carcinogenesis by Phyllanthus amarus.
abstract: Friend murine leukemia virus (FMuLv) is an acutely oncogenic retrovirus, and its infection leads to erythroblastosis and leukemia in mice. This infection model is used in the search for new antiviral agents. In the present study, the authors have evaluated the potential of an extract of Phyllanthus amarus against FMuLv-induced erythroleukemia in BALB/c mice. Injection of newborn mice with FMuLv resulted in leukemia and animals died due to splenomegaly. Oral administration of P.amarus was found to enhance the life span of leukemia-harboring animals and decrease the incidence of anemia. The authors also performed a series of hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and gene expression analyses to evaluate the effect of P.amarus administration on erythroleukemia initiation and progression. The data obtained indicate that P.amarus administration could significantly decrease the progression of erythroleukemia. Treatment with P.amarus induced the expression of p53 and p45NFE2 and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 in the spleen of infected mice. Histopathological evaluations of the spleen demonstrated that administration of P.amarus decreased the infiltration of leukemic cells into the sinusoidal space when compared with the vehicle treated group. P.amarus is known to inhibit chemically induced neoplasm in different rodent models.The current results indicate that P.amarus has the ability to suppress virally induced cancers as well.
authors.affiliation: Amala Cancer Research Centre, Amala Nagar, Thrissur, Kerala, India. kbharikumar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kuzhuvelil B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Harikumar
authors.forename: Girija
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuttan
authors.forename: Ramadasan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuttan
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D005622:Friend murine leukemia virus; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D050984:NF-E2 Transcription Factor, p45 Subunit / Q000235:genetics; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D029803:Phyllanthus / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D050984:NF-E2 Transcription Factor, p45 Subunit; C494693:Nfe2 protein, mouse; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D014527:Uric Acid