Korean J Urol.  2001 Jun;42(6):663-667.

Allium Sativum-mediated Therapy for Experimental Prostate Cancers with In Vivo Tumor Transduction: Effects on Tumor Growth and Development

• Bhang WJ
• Cheon J
• Kim SC

Abstract

PURPOSE: Allium sativum (AS) has been known to have widespread benefits in reducing some human cancer risk by immune stimualtion and anticarcinogenic activity. In the present study, we evaluated the preventive and antitumor properties of AS as an effective anticancer modifier for human prostate cancer in vivo.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Subcutaneous prostate cancers were established in athymic nude mice with 5x10(5) PC-3 human androgen-indenpendent prostate cancer cells. AS was injected at the site of tumor transplantation on day 1 and one week intervals up to 5 weeks (Experiment I), and into the established tumors sized by 50-60mm(3) weekly for 5 weeks (Experiment II). Therapeutic responses and efficacies of AS for prostate cancers in vivo were determined in separate controlled experiments, and definite histopathological studies were also performed.
RESULTS
In vivo studies indicated statistically significant reduction in the incidence of tumor formation with programmed and continuous AS intralesional treatment. For established prostate cancer, AS treatment also demonstrated an inhibitory effect of tumor growth compared with control. Histomorphological and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated marked apoptosis after 5 weeks-AS continuous treatment in Experiment II.
CONCLUSIONS
AS had a definite antitumor activity to inhibit tumorigenesis and may modulate tumor growth of prostate cancer in vivo. It is non-toxic, readily avaliable and inexpensive. AS, in the future, may be developed as a novel and effective treatment in chemoprevention for human prostate cancer.

Keyword

Allium sativum; Prostate cancer; In vivo

MeSH Terms

Allium*
Animals
Apoptosis
Carcinogenesis
Chemoprevention
Garlic
Growth and Development*
Humans
Incidence
Mice
Mice, Nude
Prostate*
Prostatic Neoplasms*