Chemopreventive potential of black cohosh on breast cancer in Sprague-Dawley rats.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the chemopreventive potential and action of the herb black cohosh on Sprague-Dawley rats.


METHODS
Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with an extract of black cohosh enriched in triterpene glycosides (27%) at 35.7 (Group I), 7.14 (Group II), 0.714 (Group III) or 0 mg/kg b.w. for 40 weeks starting from 56 weeks of age and the incidence of benign and malignant mammary tumors was determined at the end of observation.


RESULTS
Among female rats treated at 35.7 and 7.14 mg/kg b.w. there was a dose-related reduction (p<0.05) of the incidence of mammary adenocarcinomas when compared to the treatment of 0.714 mg/kg b.w., with a protection index (calculated relative to the group III; PI=[total tumours × 100 animals of group III] - [total tumours × 100 animals of the group I (or group II)]/ [total tumours of group III] × 100) for mammary adenocarcinomas of 87.5 and 48.8%, respectively. Black cohosh reduced Ki-67 and cyclin D1 protein expression in fibroadenomas, by immunohistochemistry.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that black cohosh may have chemopreventive potential for mammary cancer.
Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, HHSC-1518, 701 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. lseinbond@gmail.com
Linda Saxe
LS
Einbond
Morando
M
Soffritti
Davide
D
Degli Esposti
Eva
E
Tibaldi
Michelina
M
Lauriola
Luciano
L
Bua
Kan
K
He
Giannicola
G
Genovese
Tao
T
Su
Lesley
L
Huggins
Xiaomei
X
Wang
Marc
M
Roller
Hsan-Au
HA
Wu
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D031885:Cimicifuga / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015996:Survival Rate
D010936:Plant Extracts