Anti-leukemic and anti-angiogenic effects of d-Limonene on K562-implanted C57BL/6 mice and the chick chorioallantoic membrane model.

BACKGROUND

d-Limonene, a monoterpene from citrus fruit has been found to have chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities in various types of cancers. In this study, we evaluated the in vivo effect of d-Limonene on a K562-induced model of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in C57BL/6 mice.

METHOD

The tail vein injection model of K562 cells in immunocompromised C57BL/6 mice was developed and evaluated for characteristics of the disease. The mice were treated with d-Limonene and evaluated for haematological parameters. We also evaluated the effect of d-Limonene on angiogenesis using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay.

RESULTS

In a complete blood count, a significant dose-dependent reduction in white blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, but an elevation in red blood cell count and haemoglobin content was observed with d-Limonene treatment compared to the disease control or untreated group. In the CAM assay, d-Limonene produced a significant dose-dependent reduction in number of blood vessels in treatment groups compared to the vehicle-treated group.

CONCLUSION

These studies suggest promising anti-leukemic and anti-angiogenic effects of d-Limonene in the treatment of CML.