Chemopreventive effects of chitosan nanogel with thiocolchicoside and lauric acid in chemically induced oral carcinogenesis, in a rodent model.

There is always a quest for newer, more effective chemopreventive agents to prevent and manage oral cancer. A novel nanogel prepared using thiocolchicoside, lauric acid, and chitosan showed promising anticancer activity in KB-1 cell lines. The current manuscript aims to investigate the chemopreventive activity of chitosan nanogel with thiocolchicoside and lauric acid in chemically induced oral carcinogenesis using Wistar rats. Forty-six male Wistar rats were divided into three different groups: group I (control group), group II (cancer induction group), and group III (cancer induction with a chemopreventive agent). Male Wistar rats were given 20 μl/ml 4NQO solutions daily in their drinking water. One group received a daily oral application of CTL nanogel and carcinogen in drinking water. After the 23-week carcinogen treatment, the rats were euthanized; the tongues of the rats were dissected and histopathologically examined. Additionally, RT-PCR was employed to assess the gene expression of various signaling molecules involved in cancer progression like Erk1/2, β-catenin, Ki-67, Cyclin D1, TNF-α, NFκB, COX-2, and RAC1. Wistar rats developed white lesions and growth in the tongue in the cancer induction group. At the same time, the incidence and size of tumors were significantly less in the CTL nanogel-treated group. There was a significant increase in p53, Caspase-3, and Bax expression levels, while Bcl-2 showed a decreased expression in the CTL nanogel-treated group. There was also a significant decrease in the expression of EGFR and VEGFR signaling molecules in the CTL nanogel-treated group (p < 0.05 level). CTL nanogel shows potent chemopreventive efficiency in reducing the occurrence and severity of 4NQO-induced oral cancer in Wistar rats, marking it a promising candidate for further investigation in cancer prevention strategies.