Effects of chrysin in combination with 5-fluorouracil on azoxymethane- induced colon cancer in mice

Introduction: Chemotherapy is one of the procedures in colon cancer treatment. 5–Fluorouracil (5-FU), a conventional drug for colon cancer treatment is used for several decades. Chrysin is a natural flavonoid that inhibits the growth of cancer cells. In vivo and also in vitro studies have showed that Chrysin does not have any toxic side effects on normal cells. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Chrysin in combination with 5-FU on azoxymethane (AOM) - induced colon cancer in mice. Materials and Methods: In this study 42 male balb/c mice weighing 15-18 g, were used. Mice were divided into seven groups: 1) Health control, 2) Cancer Control, 3) 5-FU, 4) Chrysin with dose of 50 mg/kg, 5) Chrysin with dose of 100 mg/kg, 6) Chrysin with dose of 50 mg/kg plus 5-FU, 7) Chrysin with dose of 100 mg/kg plus 5-FU. Colon cancer was induced by i.p. infusion of AOM (10mg/kg) and (Dextran sodium sulfate) DSS (1.5%) in the drinking water for one week. All rats were sacrificed for evaluation of histopathology (hyperplasia, dysplasia, carcinoma and the number of aberrant crypt foci ,ACF) in distal region of large intestine. Results: Pathological lesions (hyperplasia, dysplasia and carcinoma) and the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) was lower in all treatment groups compared to the cancer control group (p<0.05). Comparison between the groups showed that number of ACFs is proportionate to the number of pathological lesions. The number of ACF in the combination therapy groups had decreased significantly compared to the group’s treated with chrysin or 5- FU (p<0.05). Conclusion: Chrysin has a synergistic effect with 5-FU in reducing the number of ACFs. Chrysin can be considered as an anti-cancer agent in combination with other anti-cancer drugs available, such as 5-FU Keywords: Colon Cancer, Azoxymethan, Chrysin, Fluorouracil, Combination Therapy