Effects of physiological versus pharmacological beta-carotene supplementation on cell proliferation and histopathological changes in the lungs of cigarette smoke-exposed ferrets.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2000

Keywords

Beta-Carotene, Cell-Division, Cyclin-D1, Dietary-Supplements, Dose-Response-Relationship-Drug, Ferrets, Human, Lung, Male, Proliferating-Cell-Nuclear-Antigen, Proto-Oncogene-Proteins-c-fos, Proto-Oncogene-Proteins-c-jun, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-NON-P-H-S, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-P-H-S, Tobacco-Smoke-Pollution, Tretinoin, Vitamin-A

First Page

2245

Last Page

2253

JAX Source

Carcinogenesis 2000 Dec; 21(12):2245-53.

Grant

R01CA49195/CA/NCI

Abstract

There remains a remarkable discordance between the results of observational epidemiological studies and intervention trials using beta-carotene as a potential chemopreventive agent. One question that needs to be examined is whether the adverse outcomes of human beta-carotene trials are related to the large doses of beta-carotene that were administered. In the present study, ferrets were given a physiological (low) dose or a pharmacological (high) dose of beta-carotene supplementation (0.43 mg versus 2.4 mg/kg body wt/day, which is equivalent to 6 mg versus 30 mg/day in humans) and exposed to cigarette smoke for 6 months. We investigated the effects of these doses of beta-carotene on retinoid concentrations, expression of retinoic acid receptors (RARs), activator protein 1 (AP-1; c-Jun and c-Fos), cyclin D1, proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA), and histopathological changes in the lungs of both normal and cigarette smoke-exposed ferrets. Thirty-six male ferrets were treated in six groups-control, smoke-exposed (SM), low-dose beta-carotene (LBC), high-dose beta-carotene (HBC), low-dose beta-carotene plus smoke exposure (LBC+SM) or high-dose beta-carotene plus smoke exposure (HBC+SM)-for 6 months. Retinoic acid concentration and RAR beta gene expression, but not expression of RAR alpha and RAR gamma, was reduced in the lung tissue of HBC+SM, HBC, SM and LBC+SM ferrets, but not in that of LBC ferrets, as compared with the control group. Expression of AP-1 and PCNA was greater in HBC+SM, HBC, SM and LBC+SM ferrets, but not in the LBC ferrets, as compared with the control group. Increased amounts of cyclin D1 and keratinized squamous metaplasia were observed in the lung tissue of HBC+SM, HBC and SM groups but not in that of the LBC+SM, LBC or control groups. These data suggest that, in contrast with a pharmacological dose of beta-carotene, a physiological dose of beta-carotene in smoke-exposed ferrets has no potentially detrimental effects and may afford weak protection against lung damage induced by cigarette smoke.

Please contact the Joan Staats Library for information regarding this document.

Share

COinS