Abstract
The monoterpene perillyl alcohol (POH) has proven efficacious against the formation and progression of a variety of cancers. In this study, we tested the ability of POH to inhibit photocarcinogenesis in a nonmelanoma model of mouse skin carcinogenesis and its ability to inhibit UVB-induced activator protein 1 (AP-1) transactivation in mouse skin and human keratinocytes. POH (10 mM) was applied topically to the cars and shaved dorsal surface of groups of 35 BALB/c mice throughout the experiment, during and after UVB treatment. Topical POll significantly inhibited tumor incidence and multiplicity, average tumor size, and the average tumor burden/mouse without any apparent toxicity. POH inhibited UVB-induced AP-1 transactivation in both cultured human keratinocytes and transgenic mice that stably express a luciferase reporter driven by AP-1 elements. The results suggest that POll might be used for chemoprevention of human skin cancer, and that inhibition of AP-1 activity is functionally related to inhibition of skin carcinogenesis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 711-716 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Cancer Research |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - Feb 15 1998 |
