The Mechanisms of Carnosol in Chemoprevention of Ultraviolet B-Light-Induced Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Formation

Carnosol is a natural compound extracted from rosemary and sage, which has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer properties. In this report, we evaluated the therapeutic potential and elucidated the potential mechanism of action of carnosol in chemoprevention of ultraviolet B-light (UVB) induced non-melanoma skin cancer formation. Our data indicated that carnosol could partially reduce UVB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation and thus reduce DNA damage. It could also reduce UVB-induced formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CDP) in keratinocytes possibly through its ability in absorbing UVB radiation. In addition, carnosol could inhibit the UVB-induced activation of NF-κB and also reduce UVB-induced transformation of keratinocytes. Taken together, the results indicate the role of carnosol as a potential chemopreventive agent upon UVB radiation.