@article {ZHANG4041, author = {WEN ZHANG and GANG YIN and JIANGUO DAI and YU SUN and ROBERT M. HOFFMAN and ZHIJIAN YANG and YUAN FAN}, title = {Chemoprevention by Quercetin of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Suppression of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway in DMBA-treated Hamsters}, volume = {37}, number = {8}, pages = {4041--4049}, year = {2017}, publisher = {International Institute of Anticancer Research}, abstract = {Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the flavonoid quercetin on chemoprevention of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The study involved molecular signaling pathways in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis. Materials and Methods: DMBA (0.5\%) was painted at the right buccal pouches of hamsters for 14 weeks to induce carcinoma. DMBA-treated hamsters received simultaneous doses of quercetin. Animals without DMBA induction were used as normal controls. The incidence of OSCC and the severity of pre-malignant lesions were determined histologically. Apoptosis in the pouch tissue was determined by TUNEL staining. The mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB p50 and p65, as well as Bcl-2 and Bax genes were analyzed using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Quercetin, at various doses, significantly reduced OSCC incidence and severity of hyperplasia and dysplasia compared to the DMBA-induction-only group (p\<0.01). Apoptosis was induced by quercetin treatment compared to the DMBA-induction-only group (p\<0.01). mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB p50, p65 as well as Bcl-2 genes were significantly suppressed by quercetin at high doses compared to DMBA induction only (p\<0.05). However, mRNA and protein expression of the Bax gene was increased by quercetin treatment at medium and high doses, compared to the DMBA-induction-only group (p\<0.05). Quercetin significantly reduced body-weight loss compared to the DMBA-induction-only group (p\<0.05). Conclusion: Quercetin reduced tumor incidence and induced apoptosis through modulation of NF-κB signaling and its target genes Bcl-2 and Bax in the DMBA-induced carcigenesis hamster model, suggesting the potential of quercetin as a candidate for OSCC chemoprevention.}, issn = {0250-7005}, URL = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/37/8/4041}, eprint = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/37/8/4041.full.pdf}, journal = {Anticancer Research} }