The effect of Astragalus Ovinus extract on CA15.3 and p53 in 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA)-Induced breast cancer in Rats

Introduction : Blood tumor markers were reported to be raised in %33 and 68.2% of patients with locally advanced primary and metastatic breast cancers respectively. Their roles in current clinical practice include the diagnosis of symptomatic metastases and the monitoring of response to treatment in patients with metastatic disease. CA15.3(MUC1 mucin) that a carbohydrate antigen secreted from the mammary epithelial cells, is the most widely used serum biochemical tumor marker in breast cancer. P53 oncoprotein which encoded by the tumor suppressor gene p53, functions as a master regulator of both cell division and apoptosis. It is demonstrated that extracts fromAstragalus species have immunomodulatory and anti-cancer activities. Aim: Evaluating of the effect of Astragalus Ovinus (A.Ovinus) extract on serum CA15.3 and p53 levels in breast cancer. Material and Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. Animals in group I (control) were administered with olive oil. To produce tumor, rats (50-55 days old) were given a single oral dose of DMBA (olive oil solubilized; 40 mg/kg). Two-thirds of DMBA-exposed rats (group II) were divided into two treatment groups (groups III and IV) that received A.Ovinus extract (120 and 240 mg/kg bw) daily for 30 days. All of administration carried out via gavage. CA15.3 and p53 by ELISA kits were measured. Results: Serum levels of CA15.3 and p53 in DMBA group increased when compared with control whereas these markers showed fall in treatment groups at compare with DMBA group. Conclusion: Because one of the most proper and objective methods for determining treatment efficacy is by measurement of serum markers such as CA 15-3 and A.Ovinus extract caused significant decrease in CA15.3 levels and lack of increase at p53 levels, thus, A.Ovinus might have anti-tumor effects through induce apoptosis in a p53-independent pathway.

Keywords:

Breast cancer , DMBA , Astragalus Ovinus , CA15.3 , p53 , Rat