Pro-apoptotic potential of ferulic acid during 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis

Murugaraj Manoj Prabhakar; Shanmugam Manoharan; Sekar Karthikeyan; Duraisamy Rajasekaran; Simon Silvan; Nagarethinam Baskaran; Duraisamy Palanimuthu

Murugaraj Manoj Prabhakar ⁽¹⁾ , Shanmugam Manoharan ⁽²⁾ , Sekar Karthikeyan ⁽³⁾ , Duraisamy Rajasekaran ⁽⁴⁾ , Simon Silvan ⁽⁵⁾ , Nagarethinam Baskaran ⁽⁶⁾ , Duraisamy Palanimuthu ⁽⁷⁾

(1) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India ,

(2) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India ,

(3) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India ,

(4) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India ,

(5) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India ,

(6) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India ,

(7) Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, India

Issue
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2012): Volume 3 Issue 4

Keywords:

Oral cancer, ferulic acid, Bax, caspases

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Abstract

The present study has investigated the pro-apoptotic potential of ferulic acid by analysing the activities of caspase-3 and 9 as well as by investigating the expression pattern of pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, during 7,12- dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Oral tumors were developed in the buccal pouch of hamsters by painting with 0.5% DMBA three times a week for 14 weeks. We noticed 100% tumor formation, histopathologically confirmed as well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, with marked abnormalities in the activities of caspase-3 and 9 and Bax expression pattern in hamsters treated with DMBA alone. Oral administration of ferulic acid at a dose of 40mg/kg bw to hamsters treated with DMBA, not only completely prevented the formation of oral tumors but also restored the activities of caspase 3 and 9 and up regulated the expression of Bax. The present study thus suggests that the pro-apoptotic potential of ferulic acid might have inhibited tumor formation during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis.