| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Caniceiro, Beatriz D.
[1]
;
Latorre, Andreia O.
[1]
;
Fukumasu, Heidge
[2]
;
Sanches, Daniel S.
[1]
;
Haraguchi, Mitsue
[3]
;
Gorniak, Silvana L.
[1]
Total Authors: 6
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Vet Med & Anim Sci, Dept Pathol, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Anim Sci & Food Engn, Dept Basic Sci, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Biol Inst Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | JOURNAL OF IMMUNOTOXICOLOGY; v. 12, n. 1, p. 74-80, JAN-MAR 2015. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 1 |
| Abstract | |
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern), one of the most important toxic plants in the world, contains the toxic norsequiterpene ptaquiloside that induces cancers in humans and farm animals. Previous studies in the laboratory demonstrated immunotoxic effects produced by ptaquiloside, which are characterized by suppression of natural killer (NK) cell activity (i. e. cytotoxicity and interferon {[}IFN]-gamma production). However, it is unknown whether these immunosuppressive effects could contribute to carcinogenesis in situ in general because of the important function of NK cells in innate killing of tumor cells. This study assessed the impact of P. aquilinum-induced immunosuppression on urethane-induced lung cancer in C57BL/6 mice. Adult mice were treated with an extract of P. aquilinum (30 g/kg/day) by gavage once daily for 14 days, followed by gavage (5 days/week) during an 11-week period that was accompanied by treatment with urethane (1 g/kg) via once-weekly intraperitoneal injection; 20 weeks after the end of the treatment period, all lungs were evaluated. The results indicated there was a significant increase in lung nodule number as well as in multiplicity of lesions in mice treated with both P. aquilinum and urethane (PU group) compared to values in mice treated only with the urethane (U group). In addition, histologic evaluation revealed a 76% increase in the rate of lung adenomas and a 41% increase in rate of bronchiolization of alveoli in the mice from the PU group compared to levels seen in mice within the U group. Taken together, the results here show for the first time that immunosuppressive effects of P. aquilinum could increase the risk of cancer formation in exposed hosts. (AU) | |