Effect of acerola cherry extract on cell proliferation and activation of Ras signal pathway at the promotion stage of lung tumorigenesis in mice

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to estimate the effect of acerola cherry extract (ACE) pretreatment on cell proliferation and the activation of Ras signal pathway at a promotion stage of lung tumorigenesis in mice treated with 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Pretreatment with ACE (dose, 70 mg/kg body weight and 700 mg/kg body weight) inhibited increases in the levels of proliferating nuclear cell antigen and ornithine decarboxylase at the promotion stage. This treatment of ACE also suppressed the activation of Ras signal pathway at the same stage. These results suggest that ACE regulates abnormal cell growth at the promotion stage of lung tumorigenesis in mice treated with NNK as a result of suppression of the initiation stage.