Effects of C-Phycocyanin on the representative genes of tumor development in mouse skin exposed to 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate

C-Phycocyanin (C-PC), a biliprotein from the sea weed, has been shown to have the beneficial effects like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective properties and is used as food supplement. We are showing the effect of C-Phycocyanin on the early events altered by tumor promoter. TPA induced the expression of critical events of tumorigenesis like ornithine decarboxylase, cyclooxygenase-2, interlukin-6 and pSTAT3 in mouse skin after 5 h of application, whereas expression of transglutaminase2 was decreased at this time point. This TPA-caused altered expression of genes was prevented in presence of C-Phycocyanin. This prevention by C-Phycocyanin appeared to be dependent on the dose of C-Phycocyanin used. The results are useful for the detailed study on the preventive effect of C-Phycocyanin on TPA induced tumor promotion.

► C-Phycocyanin was purified from dry spirulina powder with a purity ratio of 1.66. ► TPA up-regulated ODC, COX-2, IL-6, pSTAT3 and down-regulated TG2 expression. ► C-PC protected the TPA altered gene expression in a dose dependent manner.