Inhibitory Effects of Dietary Protocatechuic Acid and Costunolide on 7,12‐Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene‐induced Hamster Cheek Pouch Carcinogenesis

The modifying effects of dietary exposure to two natural products, protocatechuic acid (PCA) and Costunolide during the development of neoplasms in oral carcinogenesis initiated with 7,12‐dimethyl‐benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) were investigated in male Syrian golden hamsters. All hamsters except those in the test chemical alone and control groups received DMBA (0.5%) in mineral oil to the right buccal pouch 3 times per week for 4 or 6 weeks. At 13 weeks of age, the groups exposed to DMBA were fed diet containing PCA or Costunolide at a dose of 0.2 g/kg diet (200 ppm) for 17 weeks. The other groups consisted of hamsters given mineral oil alone for 6 weeks, or given 200 ppm PCA or Costunolide alone, or untreated. All animals were necropsied at the termination of the experiment (week 24). PCA or costunolide significantly decreased the tumor burden (P<0.001‐P<0.05) and the extent of dysplastic areas (%) (P<0.001‐P<0.05). PCA significantly decreased the mean number of AgNORs/nucleus (P<0.05). The BrdUrd‐labeling index was reduced by dietary administration of test compounds, though not significantly. These results suggest that PCA and costunolide inhibited hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis and such inhibition may be related to suppression of cell proliferation in the buccal mucosa. It was also found that telomerase activity expressed in neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions of hamster buccal pouch epithelium after DMBA treatment correlated with the histopathological degree of malignancy.