Chemopreventive Effect of Quercetin in MNU and Testosterone Induced Prostate Cancer of Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

Prostate cancer becomes an ideal target for chemoprevention because of its high incidence and extended natural history. The consumption of quercetin (plant flavonoid) in diet is associated with decreased risk of disease and many cancers but then this was not elucidated in prostate malignancy. Hence, a study in which the male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced prostate cancer by hormone (testosterone) and carcinogen (MNU) and simultaneously supplemented with quercetin (200 mg/Kg body weight) thrice a week, was conducted. After the treatment period, rats were killed; ventral and dorsolateral lobes of the prostate were dissected. Histology and oxidative stress markers LPO, H₂O₂, and antioxidant GSH level were measured in both lobes. The lipid peroxidation, H₂O₂, in (MNU+T) treated rats were increased and GSH level was decreased, whereas simultaneous quercetin-treated rats reverted back to normal level in both ventral and dorsolateral regions. The different patterns of PIN were observed with associated hyperplasia and dysplasia; changes in these regions and the occurrence of this lesion were reduced in simultaneous quercetin-treated rats. The study concluded that dietary quercetin prevented MNU + T-induced prostate carcinogenesis on both ventral and dorsolateral lobes of Sprague-Dawley rats.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India, in the form of CSIR-SRF (Grant no: 9/115 (0737)/2011-EMR-I date 28.03.2011) to Ms. G. Sharmila and DBT, Govt., of India to Dr. J. Arunakaran.