title: In vivo preventive effects of insect tea on buccal mucosa cancer in ICR mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insect tea is a particular drink or health product in China and it is also used as Chinese medicine now. Its functional effects need to be proved.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ICR mice buccal mucosa cancer model was established by injecting the mice with U14 cells and mice was treated with insect tea. Tumor volumes and lymph node metastasis rates were determined. And the buccal mucosa tissues and cancer cervical lymph node were also checked by histology test, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumor volumes for the group treated with insect tea mice was smaller than those from the control mice. The sections of buccal mucosa cancer tissue showed that the canceration of insect tea mice was weaker than control mice. Insect tea significantly induced apoptosis in buccal mucosa tissues by upregulating Bax, caspases, and downregulating Bcl-2. Nuclear factor-κB, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and COX-2 gene, was significantly downregulated by insect tea, demonstrating its anti-inflammatory properties. Insect tea also exerted a great anti-metastasis effect on tissues as demonstrated by decreased expression of Matrix metalloproteinases genes and increased expression of tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The highest concentration of 1600 mg/kg oral gavage and 400 mg/mL smear insect tea showed the best anticancer effects. Based on the results, insect tea showed the strong in vivo buccal mucosa cancer preventive effects.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Guijie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yalin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018890:Chemoprevention; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007313:Insecta / Q000737:chemistry*; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*; D047368:Tumor Burden; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013662:Tea; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D020169:Caspases; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases