Purpose: To investigate the chemopreventive potential of resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in seeds and skin of grapes, berries and peanuts in 7,12 dimethyl benz(a)anthracene (DMBA) induced mouse skin tumorigenesis.
Methods: Topical treatment of resveratrol was given to the animals 1 h prior to DMBA for 28 weeks. At the end of the study period, the skin tumors were dissected out and western blotting was carried out to examine the regulation of proteins involved in anti-tumorigenesis in response to resveratrol.
Results: Chemopreventive properties of resveratrol were reflected by delay in onset of tumorigenesis, reduced cumulative number of tumors, and reduction in tumor volume. Results of the western blotting showed that resveratrol treatment increased the DMBA suppressed p53 and Bax while decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Survivin. Further, resveratrol supplementation resulted in release of cytochrome C, caspases activation, increase in apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) as mechanism of apoptosis induction. Resveratrol was also found to inhibit skin tumorigenesis through regulation of Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/ and AKT proteins which are implicated in cancer progression because it stimulates proliferation and suppresses apoptosis.
Conclusions: Based on the results we can conclude that resveratrol regulates apoptosis and cell survival in mouse skin tumors as mechanism of chemoprevention hence deserve to be a chemopreventive agent.