Effects of Salvia officinalis L. on 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced breast cancer in rats and mouse mammary carcinoma cells (4T1)

The toxicity of Salvia officinalis L. on different cancer cell lines has been reported extensively, but an in vivo evaluation on breast cancer has not been conducted. Therefore, in vivo and in vitro studies of are evaluated in this study. The hydro-alcoholic extract of Salvia officinalis L. was studied in female Wistar rats in three groups: one control (Con) group (n = 7) and two 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene cancer-induced groups (CI) that were gavaged either with distilled water (Con-CI) or 30 mg/kg sage hydro-alcoholic extract (SHE-CI) for 30 days (n = 34). A mammary gland whole mount was prepared, and the number of alveolar buds and lobules were scored. Histomorphometrical changes and apoptosis were examined in mammary gland sections. Chromatin condensation, cell viability, apoptosis, and toxicity induction were monitored in 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma cells treated by different doses of SHE. IC₅₀ of the 4T1 cell-treated SHE were examined by MTT assay. A decrease in alveolar buds, number of ducts and lobules, ductal diameters, and epithelial cells was observed in whole mount and histological sections of mammary glands in SHE-CI compared to the Con-CI group. Apoptotic cells were increased in SHE-CI compared to the Con-CI group. A decrease in cell viability and increase in chromatin condensation were observed in a dose-dependent manner in SHE-treated cultures. MTT assay revealed IC₅₀ of the 4T1 cell-treated SHE reduced significantly compared to the NIH cell line from the fibroblast as a normal cell. Salvia officinalis might prevent breast cancer under both in vivo and in vitro conditions.