Background: Phytic acid is an anti-neoplastic agent. We hypothesize that during mammary tumorigenesis, the administration of phytic acid is associated with biochemical changes including enhancement of apoptosis and inhibition of oxidative stress.
Materials and methods: An animal model formed of 25 rats was established. The animals were divided into three groups: (1) a control group which received the same phytic acid treatment in the right route and amount; (2) a carcinogen group which received a carcinogenic substance DMBA that can induce proliferative changes in the mammary gland; (3) treated group which received phytic acid, 60 days after the intake of DMBA. The animals were sacrificed, serum and tissue were evaluated for markers of tumori-genicity (serum total sialic acid, TSA); apoptotic changes (tissue caspase-3 activity and % DNA Fragmentation) and oxidative stress (tissue level of nitric oxide, NO).
Results: Following DMBA administration, benign proliferative breast changes occurred in all animals. However, these changes disappeared following phytic acid treatment. As compared to the control group, the development of these proliferative changes in DMBA group was associated with statistically significantly (p < 0.05) increased levels of TSA and NO and decreased apoptotic activity. When compared to DMBA group, the disappearance of the proliferative changes in phytic acid -treated group was associated with statistically significantly (p < 0.05) decreased levels of TSA and NO and increased apoptotic activity.
Conclusions: Administration of phytic acid reversed the proliferative effects of DMBA, suggesting its protective role.