Study of the Effect of Quercetin on Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Colon Cancer and Apoptotic Proteins in Male Rats

Abstract

Quercetin is a natural flavonoid found abundantly in vegetables and fruits. There is a lot of evidence showing the beneficial effects of quercetin for the prevention and treatment of various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc. Objectives: The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of quercetin in an animal model of colon cancer. In this study, the amount of apoptotic proteins involved in colon cancer was investigated. Method: Colon cancer was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) for 10 weeks and one injection per week.Groups included healthy control and quercetin, cancer group and cancer with quercetin. Quercetin was then given to rats by gavage at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight. 12 weeks later, the expression levels of Bax, Bcl2 and Caspase-3 proteins were measured by Western blotting. Anatomical evidence was used to confirm colon cancer. Results: The expression of Bax and caspase-3 in the colon tissue of rats with colon cancer was lower than control and the expression of Bcl-2 in cancer rats was higher than the controls. Quercetin administration increased the expression of Bax and caspase-3 in cancer group and also decreased the expression of Bcl-2 in intestinal tissue compared to the cancer group. Quercetin, on the other hand, improved the destruction of intestinal tissue caused by cancer induction in rats. The number of goblet cells was higher in cancer rats receiving quercetin than in cancer rats. Conclusion: The present study showed that quercetin increases the rate of apoptosis by modulating the expression of key proteins involved in apoptosis such as Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3, thus providing the basis for the clinical application of quercetin in colorectal cancer.