Antitumor Activity ofFicus deltoideaExtract on Oral Cancer: An In Vivo Study

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study is to evaluate the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities of Ficus deltoidea (FD) in an animal model induced for oral cancer using 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO). Methods. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into six groups (n = 7 per group): Group 1 (untreated group); Group 2 (control cancer group) received 4NQO only for 8 weeks in their drinking water; Groups 3 and 4 (chemopreventive) received 4NQO for 8 weeks and were simultaneously treated with FD extract at 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, by oral gavage; Groups 5 and 6 (chemotherapeutic) received 4NQO for 8 weeks followed by the administration of FD extract at 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, for another 10 weeks. The incidence of oral cancer was microscopically evaluated. Moreover, immunohistochemical expression was analysed in tongue specimens using an image analyser computer system, while the RT2 profiler PCR array method was employed for gene expression analysis. Results. The results of the present study showed a beneficial regression effect of the FD extract on tumor progression. The FD extract significantly reduced the incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) from 100% to 14.3% in the high-dose groups. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that the FD extract had significantly decreased the expression of the key tumor marker cyclin D1 and had significantly increased the expression of the β-catenin and e-cadherin antibodies that are associated with enhanced cellular adhesion. Based on the gene expression analysis, FD extract had reduced the expression of the TWIST1 and RAC1 genes associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and had significantly downregulated the COX-2 and EGFR genes associated with cancer angiogenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Our data suggest that the FD extract exerts chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities in an animal model induced for oral cancer using 4NQO, thus having the potential to be developed as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents.

Periodontal disease affects oral cancer progression in a surrogate animal model for tobacco exposure

“…Notably, the average weight of the Perio group increased week on week over the whole experiment; however, there was no difference compared with the Control group, which is in accordance with the results of other studies (18,19). Regarding the groups exposed to 4NQO, there was ~10% less weight gain from baseline to the final week compared with that in the control groups, with a particular slight drop in the final four weeks, which is also in line with the results of other studies (15,(30)(31)(32). Significant differences were observed in the last weeks between the Perio group and the groups exposed to 4NQO.…”

Ficus deltoidea ameliorates biochemical, hormonal, and histomorphometric changes in letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome rats

“…The presence of these compounds is bene cial for treating dyslipidemia, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and infertility cases such as PCOS. The antihypertensive [11], chemopreventive, and chemotherapeutic [12] activities of F. deltoidea have indeed been reported in animal studies. F. deltoidea also improved depressive behavior in rats [13].…”

Extract of Ficus septica modulates apoptosis and migration in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

“…10,11,36 Previous studies have shown that an extract from plants in the Ficus genus exhibits anti-proliferative effects via modulating cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. [37][38][39] For example, the F. carica extract caused S phase arrest and increased the levels of p21 in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. 37 Hanafi et al reported that F. deltoidea extract inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells via apoptosis.…”