AIM: Evaluating the possible protective effect of thymol as an approach against 1,2 N,N-dimethylhydrazine and/or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced colon cancer. MAIN METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups, namely a normal control group, colon cancer groups received DMH (40 mg/kg i.p., twice weekly), 20% HFD and DMH/HFD, thymol (20 mg/kg/day, p.o.), thymol/DMH and thymol/DMH/HFD (treatment of all groups continued for 16 weeks). KEY FINDINGS: Thymol significantly reduced the elevated serum levels of colon related tumor markers carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as well as the apoptotic marker, caspase-3 compared with the colon cancer group. In addition, it mitigated colonic tissue oxidative stress markers and inflammatory mediators. Moreover, the histopathological study revealed reduction of mucous secretion with elongated nuclei, frequent mitotic figures, focal nuclear stratification, mild interstitial edema, and markedly dilated congested blood vessels, aberrant crypt foci (ACF); adenoma with moderate to severe dysplasia of colon corrected by thymol treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: The administration of thymol had a promising preclinical protective efficacy and could be considered as a new strategy for the prophylaxis from colon cancer in clinical practices.
AIM: Evaluating the possible protective effect of thymol as an approach against 1,2 N,N-dimethylhydrazine and/or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced colon cancer. MAIN METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups, namely a normal control group, colon cancer groups received DMH (40 mg/kg i.p., twice weekly), 20% HFD and DMH/HFD, thymol (20 mg/kg/day, p.o.), thymol/DMH and thymol/DMH/HFD (treatment of all groups continued for 16 weeks). KEY FINDINGS:Thymol significantly reduced the elevated serum levels of colon related tumor markers carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as well as the apoptotic marker, caspase-3 compared with the colon cancer group. In addition, it mitigated colonic tissue oxidative stress markers and inflammatory mediators. Moreover, the histopathological study revealed reduction of mucous secretion with elongated nuclei, frequent mitotic figures, focal nuclear stratification, mild interstitial edema, and markedly dilated congested blood vessels, aberrant crypt foci (ACF); adenoma with moderate to severe dysplasia of colon corrected by thymol treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: The administration of thymol had a promising preclinical protective efficacy and could be considered as a new strategy for the prophylaxis from colon cancer in clinical practices.
Authors: Ana Luisa Farias Rocha; Ronald Zico de Aguiar Nunes; Robert Saraiva Matos; Henrique Duarte da Fonseca Filho; Jaqueline de Araújo Bezerra; Alessandra Ramos Lima; Francisco Eduardo Gontijo Guimarães; Ana Maria Santa Rosa Pamplona; Cláudia Majolo; Maria Geralda de Souza; Pedro Henrique Campelo; Ştefan Ţălu; Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato; Natalia Mayumi Inada; Edgar Aparecido Sanches Journal: Nanomaterials (Basel) Date: 2022-08-07 Impact factor: 5.719