Laurus nobilis (laurel) aqueous leaf extract's toxicological and anti-tumor activities in HPV16-transgenic mice.

Cancers induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remain a significant public health threat, fueling the study of new therapies. Laurel (Laurus nobilis) compounds and extracts recently showed in vitro activity against HPV-transformed cell lines. This work aims to evaluate the in vivo efficacy and hepatic toxicity of a laurel extract in a transgenic mouse model of HPV16-induced cancer. The extract was administered in drinking water (20 mg per animal per day) for three consecutive weeks, using four experimental groups (n = 10) (group I: HPV16-/- without treatment, group II: treated HPV16-/-, group III: HPV16+/- without treatment and group IV: treated HPV16+/-). Following the treatment period, animals were sacrificed and skin samples were used to classify skin lesions histologically. Toxicological parameters included hematological and biochemical blood markers, splenic and hepatic histology and hepatic oxidative stress. The extract did not prevent the progression of HPV16-induced cutaneous lesions in this model. The treated wild-type animals showed mild hepatitis, while transgenic animals suffered weight loss. However, there were no changes concerning hematological, biochemical and hepatic oxidative stress markers.

Ozone therapy prevents the onset of dysplasia in HPV16-transgenic mice-A pre-clinical efficacy and safety analysis.

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), most often HPV16, is associated with the development of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. Recently, ozone therapy was reported to have considerable efficacy against rabbit VX2 tumors, induced by the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus. The present study aims to determine whether similar results can be obtained in HPV16-transgenic mice, possibly paving the way for new therapeutic options against HPV-induced cancers. HPV16-transgenic and wild-type, female, 20 weeks-old mice were injected intraperitoneally with medical O3/O2 (80░mL/kg, at O3 50░µg/mL), once a day, for 5 consecutive days. The animals were sacrificed at 25 weeks-old, and skin samples were analyzed histologically to study tumour progression. Blood and internal organ samples were used to study toxicological parameters. 85.7% of untreated transgenic mice showed dysplastic skin lesions, compared with 28.6% of O3-treated mice. This was associated with a marked reduction of dermal inflammation associated with those lesions. No significant changes were observed in any toxicological parameters. These preliminary results support the hypothesis that O3 therapy is effective against papillomavirus-induced lesions, particularly against those induced by the most common high-risk virus, HPV16. Further studies are needed to confirm the mechanisms underlying these effects.