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Inhibition of azoxymethane‐induced aberrant crypt foci formation in rat colorectum by whole leaf Aloe arborescens Miller var. natalensis berger
Author(s) -
Shimpo Kan,
Chihara Takeshi,
Beppu Hidehiko,
Ida Chikako,
Kaneko Takaaki,
Nagatsu Toshiharu,
Kuzuya Hiroshi
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.826
Subject(s) - azoxymethane , aberrant crypt foci , crypt , basal (medicine) , anticarcinogen , biology , medicine , carcinogenesis , reductase , phytotherapy , endocrinology , enzyme , colorectal cancer , biochemistry , pathology , cancer , diabetes mellitus , colonic disease , alternative medicine
We examined the modifying effect of whole‐leaf Aloe arborescens Miller var. natalensis Berger (designated as ‘ALOE’) on azoxymethane (AOM)‐induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF), putative preneoplastic lesions, in the rat colorectum. Male F344 rats (4 weeks old) were fed the basal diet, or experimental diets containing 1% or 5% ALOE for 5 weeks. One week later, all rats except those in the vehicle‐treated groups were injected s.c. with AOM (15 mg/kg, once weekly for 3 weeks). At 9 weeks of age, all the rats were killed, and the colorectum and liver were evaluated for ACF and cytosolic quinone reductase (QR; a phase 2 enzyme), respectively. In rats given AOM and ALOE (1% or 5% in diet) the numbers of ACF/colorectum, aberrant crypts/colorectum, aberrant crypts/focus and large ACF/colorectum were significantly decreased compared with those of rats given AOM alone (all p < 0.01). No ACF were found in rats treated without AOM. In addition, ALOE significantly increased cytosolic QR activity in the liver ( p < 0.01). These results indicated that ALOE inhibited the development of AOM‐induced ACF in the rat colorectum, with increased QR activity in the liver, and therefore suggested that ALOE might have a chemopreventive effect against colon carcinogenesis at least in the initiation stage. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.