Pratheepa, KVijayarani, KBalachandran, CSridhar, RVijay, KTANUVAS2020-09-042020-09-042020-08https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810150802TNV_IJCMAS_2020_9(8)263-272The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-tumour potential of Withaferin A in DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene) induced rat mammary tumorigenesis. Seventy two female Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into control, DMBA, DMBA + tamoxifen (Standard drug) and DMBA +Withaferin A groups. DMBA (5 mg/rat/week/per os) at 4 weekly doses were used for tumour induction. Mammary tumours were collected on the 30th, 75th and 120th day after the initial dose of DMBA administration. The expression of p53, bcl-2, bax and PCNA was analysed by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Oral administration of Withaferin A (16 mg/kg body weight/thrice a week/ per os) showed increased incidence of carcinomas by modulating markers of apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2), cell survival (p53) and proliferation (PCNA) when compared to the standard drug tamoxifen (100 μg/kg body weight/day/per os).enVeterinary ScienceArticle