Pharmacological activity of quercetin and 5-caffeoylquinic acid oral intake in male Balb/c mice with lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) is a major worldwide cause of death by cancer, it shows high aggressiveness, functional decline, systemic compromise and severecachexia, which might be counteracted by dietary redox-active phytochemicals. Therefore, our aim was to establish the anticancer effects of the oral intake of quercetin and 5 caffeoylquinic acid.Methods. LAC-1-bearing male Balb/c mice received quercetin (0e25 mg/kg/d) and 5 caffeoylquinic acid (0e120 mg/kg/d) for three weeks, with different organic and biochemical variables being then compared with ANOVA and the Fisher Test ( p ! 0.05).Results. Quercetin delayed 1.18 fold tumour appearance and increased 8.87 fold nonneoplastic body weight gain, whereas 5 caffeoylquinic acid did it in a lesser extent (1.17 and 2.48 fold, respectively), with tumour weight being consequent with the evolution time. Quercetin induced O1.15 fold tumour hydroperoxides and lipoperoxides, whereas 5 caffeoylquinic acid induced only lipoperoxides. Although both phytochemicals reduced !0.85 fold hydroperoxides and lipoperoxides in the kidney, only quercetin was also antioxidant in the liver. Additionally, 5 caffeoylquinic acid increased O1.15 fold hepatic and renal weights. Although these phytochemicals did not modify telencephalic interleukin 6 production, quercetin augmented 2.51 fold interleukin 6 in the diencephalon, whereas 5 caffeoylquinic acid decreased it 0.43 fold. Conclusions. Quercetin delayed lung adenocarcinoma appearance and increased the nonneoplastic body weight gain in mice with tumour oxidative stress, without brain interleukin 6 participation. 5 caffeoylquinic acid showed similar effects, although they were weaker. Additionally, quercetin acted as a hepatic and renal antioxidant, whereas 5 caffeoylquinic acid only exerted this effect in the kidney. Therefore, safe oral doses of this flavonoid are promissory to modulate lung cancer progression, with further studies being encouraged.