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Silibinin Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Growth by Inhibiting Tumor Cell Proliferation and Angiogenesis

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and ² University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado and ³ Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Requests for reprints: Rajesh Agarwal, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, 4200 East 9th Street, Box C238, Denver, CO 80262. Phone: 303-315-1381; Fax: 303-315-6281; E-mail: Rajesh.Agarwal{at}uchsc.edu.

Key Words: chemoprevention • colorectal cancer • silibinin • cell proliferation • apoptosis • angiogenesis

Herein, for the first time, we investigated in vivo efficacy and associated molecular biomarkers and mechanisms of a chemopreventive agent, silibinin, against human colorectal carcinoma (CRC) HT29 xenograft growth. Nude mice were implanted with HT29 cells and fed with vehicle (carboxymethyl cellulose or phosphatidylcholine) or 200 mg/kg/d dose of silibinin or 100 and 200 mg/kg/d doses of silybin-phytosome (5 days per week) for 32 days. Silibinin inhibited tumor growth that accounted for 48% (P = 0.002) decrease in tumor volume and 42% (P = 0.012) decrease in tumor weight at the end of the experiment without any adverse health effect. A stronger antitumor efficacy was observed with silybin-phytosome preparation. Silibinin decreased proliferation index by 40% (P < 0.001), increased apoptotic index by 2-fold (P = 0.001), and reduced microvessel density by 36% (P = 0.001) in tumors. Antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of silibinin were associated with down-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Akt phosphorylation as well as cyclin D1 expression. Antiangiogenic effect of silibinin was coupled with a strong decrease in inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and NOS3, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2, and hypoxia-inducing factor-1 (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). These findings suggest in vivo antitumor efficacy of silibinin against CRC involving its antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and antiangiogenic activities. The inhibition of ERK1/2 and Akt signaling may account for antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects, whereas down-regulation of NOS, COX, HIF-1, and VEGF expression could lead to antiangiogenic effect of silibinin against CRC. Overall, potential use of silibinin against human CRC could be suggested. [Cancer Res 2008;68(6):2043–50]

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