A fungal taxol from Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat., attenuates 7, 12 dimethyl benz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced biochemical changes during mammary gland carcinogenesis

The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of fungal taxol against dimethyl benz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in Sprague Dawley rats. After 90 days of tumor induction, fungal and commercial taxol were administered intraperitoneally once a week for four weeks. Tissues were analyzed for biochemical markers that included aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and carcino embryonic antigen (CEA). Histopathological changes as well as immunohistochemical localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and immunoblot analysis of matrix metallo proteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were analysed in the breast tissue. Rats treated with fungal taxol and commercial taxol showed significant reduction in all biochemical markers when compared to cancer bearing untreated rats. Similarly, the increased expressions of iNOS, MMP-2, MMP-9 and PCNA in cancer bearing untreated rats, were found to be significantly reduced in fungal taxol and commercial taxol treated groups of rats. Our results implicate a major role for fungal taxol in preventing mammary gland carcinogenesis.