Protective Effect of Nerium oleander Distillate and Tarantula cubensis Alcoholic Extract on Cancer Biomarkers in Colon and Liver Tissues of Rats with Experimental Colon Cancer.

Abstract

Colon cancers are among the top three causes of cancer-related deaths. This study is a continuation of previous research aiming to identify effective treatments. This study investigated the effects of Tarantula cubensis alcoholic extract (TCAE) and Nerium oleander (NO) distillate on the levels of midkine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and caspase-3 in the liver and colon tissues of rats with experimentally induced colon cancer. The liver and colon tissues of rats were homogeneously divided into control, colon cancer (azoxymethane, AZM), AZM + TCAE, and AZM + NO distillate groups. The levels of midkine, TGF-β, VEGF, AFP, COX-2, IGF, and caspase-3 in the colon and liver tissues were measured by ELISA. The levels of all parameters in colon and liver tissues in the AZM group were higher (p<0.05) than those in the control group. TCAE and NO distillate prevented (p < 0.05) increases in midkine, TGF-β, VEGF, AFP, COX-2, IGF, and caspase-3 levels in the colon. NO distillate prevented the increase in all parameters except IGF, whereas TCAE prevented the increase in all values apart from COX-2 and IGF levels in the liver (p<0.05). NO distillate and TCAE may prevent the studied markers from reaching specified levels observed in the colon in AZM-induced colon cancer. The increases in the levels of the parameters in the liver were not as severe as those in the colon; however, an 18-week study period may not be sufficient for liver metastasis formation. Future molecular studies should investigate the mechanisms and pathways of these treatments in greater detail.