Anti-carcinogenic action of ellagic acid mediated via modulation of oxidative stress regulated genes in Dalton lymphoma bearing mice

An elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a cancerous condition causes oxidative stress which in turn activates a number of genes, and therefore an interruption in the oxidative microenvironment should be able to inactivate these genes, contributing to cancer prevention. The present work was designed to evaluate the role of ellagic acid in the modulation of protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha) activity and expression and its correlation with the oncogene, c-Myc, and tumor suppressor gene, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta 1), in lymphoma bearing mice. We also evaluated its implication for cell viability. Our results show that ellagic acid leads to down-regulation of the expression and activity of PKC alpha via decreasing the oxidative stress, measured in terms of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation. It also reduces c-Myc expression and improves TGF-beta 1 expression besides decreasing cell viability in Dalton lymphoma bearing mice, which supports its anti-carcinogenic action.