Farnesol inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis after partial hepatectomy in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study farnesol (FOH) effects on liver regeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats.


METHODS
Animals received FOH (25 mg/100 g body weight/day) or corn oil (CO, 0.25 mL/100 g body weight/day, controls). After a 2 week-treatment, all animals were subjected to PH and euthanized at different time points (0 h, 0.5 h, 4 h, 8 h, 18 h and 24 h) after surgery. Hepatic cell proliferation (PCNA positive nuclei) and apoptosis (fluorescence microscopy) were evaluated.


RESULTS
Compared to CO treatment, FOH treatment inhibited (p<0.05) cell proliferation at 24h (S phase of the cell cycle) after PH. This was preceded by an induction of apoptosis 0.5 h (p<0.05; G(0)/G(1) transition phase) after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study suggest that apoptosis induction could be associated with the reduced number of cells at the S phase observed in FOH group. These novel in vivo data reinforce FOH as a promising chemopreventive and therapeutic agent against cancer.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USP, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Carlos Eduardo Andrade
CE
Chagas
Alessandra
A
Vieira
Thomas Prates
TP
Ong
Fernando Salvador
FS
Moreno
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005204:Farnesol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D005204:Farnesol; D004247:DNA