Polypodium leucotomos targets multiple aspects of oral carcinogenesis and it is a potential antitumor phytotherapy against tongue cancer growth

• Published in: Frontiers in pharmacology Vol. 13; p. 1098374
• Main Authors: Lacerda, Pammela A, Oenning, Luan C, Bellato, Guilherme Cuoghi, Lopes-Santos, Lucilene, Antunes, Natalícia de Jesus, Mariz, Bruno Augusto Linhares Almeida, Teixeira, Gabriela, Vasconcelos, Rafael, Simões, Gustavo Ferreira, de Souza, Ivani Aparecida, Pinto, Clóvis Antônio Lopes, Salo, Tuula, Coletta, Ricardo D, Augusto, Taize M, de Oliveira, Carine Ervolino, Cervigne, Nilva K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 05.01.2023
• Subjects: antitumor effect; EMT-epithelial to mesenchymal transformation; immune-inflammation; OSCC progression; Pharmacology; polyphenolic extract; Polypodium leucotomos; polyphenolic extract; EMT-epithelial to mesenchymal transformation; Polypodium leucotomos; OSCC progression; immune-inflammation; antitumor effect
• ISSN: 1663-9812; 1663-9812
• DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1098374

Oral cancer refers to malignant tumors, of which 90% are squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). These malignancies exhibit rapid progression, poor prognosis, and often mutilating therapeutical approaches. The determination of a prophylactic and/or therapeutic antitumor role of the polyphenolic extract would be relevant in developing new tools for prevention and treatment. We aimed to determine the antitumor effect of PL by treating OSCC cell lines with PL metabolites and evaluating its action during OSCC progression . PL treatment successfully impaired cell cycling and proliferation, migration, and invasion, enhanced apoptosis, and modulated macrophage polarization associated with the tumoral immune-inflammatory response of tongue cancer cell lines (TSCC). PL treatment significantly decreased the expression of MMP1 ( < 0.01) and MMP2 ( < 0.001), and increased the expression of TIMP1 ( < 0.001) and TIMP2 ( < 0.0001) in these cells. The mesenchymal-epithelial transition phenotype was promoted in cells treated with PL, through upregulation of E-CAD ( < 0.001) and reduction of N-CAD ( < 0.05). PL restrained OSCC progression by inhibiting tumor volume growth and decreasing the number of severe dysplasia lesions and squamous cell carcinomas. Ki-67 was significantly higher expressed in tongue tissues of animals not treated with PL( < 0.05), and a notable reduction in Bcl2 ( < 0.05) and Pcna ( < 0.05) cell proliferation-associated genes was found in dysplastic lesions and TSCCs of PL-treated mice. Finally, N-cad(Cdh2), Vim, and Twist were significantly reduced in tongue tissues treated with PL. PL significantly decreased OSCC carcinogenic processes and inhibited tumor progression . PL also appears to contribute to the modulation of immune-inflammatory oral tumor-associated responses. Taken together, these results suggest that PL plays an important antitumor role in processes associated with oral carcinogenesis and may be a potential phytotherapeutic target for the prevention and/or adjuvant treatment of TSCCs.