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The aim of this study was to evaluate the photochemopreventive effects of ferulic acid (FA) against chronic ultraviolet-B (290–320 nm) induced oxidative stress, inflammation and angiogenesis in the skin of Swiss albino mice. Chronic UVB exposure (180 mJ/cm 2 for 30 weeks; thrice in a week) induced tumor formation in the mice skin that showed increased expression of carcinogenic and inflammatory markers when compared with the control animals. The intraperitoneal (FAIP) and topical (FAT) administration of FA significantly reduced the incidence of UVB-induced tumor volume and tumor weight in the mice skin. Histopathological studies revealed that both FAIP and FAT administration prevented the UVB-induced hyperplasia, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and dysplastic feature in the mice skin. Further, it has been observed that FA treatment reverted chronic UVB-induced oxidative damage (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) accompanied with modulation of vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF ), inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS ), TNF-α and IL-6 in the mice skin tumor. FA treatment also modulates mutated p53 , Bcl-2 and Bax expressions in the UVB-induced mice skin tumor. Thus, the results of the present study indicate ferulic acid has potential against UVB-induced carcinogenesis in the Swiss albino mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: UV-B induces lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in mammalian cells by producing reactive oxygen species. In this present study, we report the protective effect of ferulic acid (FA; 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid), a dietary antioxidant, on UV-B–induced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation using normal human lymphocytes. Treatment of the human peripheral lymphocytes with UV-B irradiation caused a significant (P < .05) depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and GSH peroxidase activities, and increased the levels of thiobarbituric acid–reactive substances. Treatment of human lymphocytes with FA before 30 minutes of irradiation inhibited UV-B–induced lipid peroxidation. Ferulic acid also inhibited UV-B–induced depletion of antioxidant defense components, such as GSH peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and GSH. The maximum dose of FA (10 μg/mL) normalized the UV-B–induced oxidative stress, indicating the protective effect of FA in human peripheral lymphocytes under in vitro conditions against UV-B exposure. Our observations suggest that FA reduces UV-B–induced lipid peroxidation and enhances antioxidant status in human lymphocytes exposed to UV-B radiation, and therefore, FA could serve as a protector against the UV-B–induced pathologic changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study we examined radioprotective effect of ferulic acid (FA) on gamma radiation-induced dicentric aberration and lipid peroxidation with reference to alterations in cellular antioxidant status in cultured lymphocytes. To establish most effective protective support we used three different concentrations of FA (1, 5 and 10μg/ml) and three different doses of γ-radiation (1, 2 and 4Gy). Treatment of lymphocytes with FA alone (at 10μg/ml) gave no significant change in micronuclei (MN), dicentric aberration (DC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) or glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities when compared with normal lymphocytes; irradiation at 1, 2 and 4Gy increased the MN and DC frequencies in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with FA for 30min before radiation exposure resulted in a significant decline of MN and DC yields as FA concentration increased. Compared to 1Gy exposure alone, the extent to which FA (1μg/ml) reduced the MN and DC yields was 75% and 50%, respectively. With 4Gy irradiation, FA (10μg/ml) decreased 45% MN and 25% DC frequencies. FA-pretreated lymphocytes (1, 5 and 10μg/ml) showed progressively decreased TBARS levels after irradiation. Irradiation (1, 2 and 4Gy) significantly decreased GSH levels, SOD, CAT and GPx activities in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with 10μg/ml of FA significantly (p <0.05) prevented the decreases in the radiation-induced GSH, SOD, CAT and GPx activities. These findings suggest potential use and benefit of FA as a radioprotector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a major obstacle in cancer chemotherapy. The use of the dietary phytochemicals as chemosensitizing agents to enhance the efficacy of conventional cytostatic drugs has recently gained the attention as a plausible approach for overcoming the drug resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a naturally occurring diet-based phenolic acid, ferulic acid, could sensitize paclitaxel efficacy in ABCB1 overexpressing (P-glycoprotein) colchicine selected KB Ch R 8-5 cell line. In vitro drug efflux assays demonstrated that ferulic acid inhibits P-glycoprotein transport function in drug resistant KB Ch R 8-5 cell lines. However, ferulic acid significantly downregulates ABCB1 expression in a concentration dependent manner. Cytotoxicity assay reveals that ferulic acid decreased paclitaxel resistance in KBCh R 8-5 and HEK293/ABCB1 cells, which indicates its chemosensitizing potential. Clonogenic cell survival assay and apoptotic morphological staining further confirm the chemosensitizing potential of ferulic acid in drug resistant KB Ch R 8-5 cell lines. Ferulic acid treatment enhances paclitaxel mediated cell cycle arrest and upregulates paclitaxel-induced apoptotic signaling in KB resistant cells. Hence, it has been concluded that downregulation of ABCB1 and subsequent induction of paclitaxel-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptotic signaling may be the cause for the chemosensitizing potential of ferulic acid in P-gp overexpressing cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]