Chemopreventive effect of aerosolized polyphenon E on lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice

Effective chemoprevention of lung cancer in high-risk patients through the administration of pharmacologic or nutritional agents is urgently needed. Aerosol inhalation can deliver chemopreventive agents directly to the respiratory tract to inhibit the tumorigenic process. In this study, polyphenon E (PolyE) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) were administered by aerosol delivery to A/J mice beginning 2 weeks after carcinogen treatment and continuing daily by inhalation throughout the remainder of the study (20 weeks). PolyE decreased tumor load by approximately 59%. However, EGCG, both at the same dose and at a higher dose, failed to inhibit lung carcinogenesis. These results indicate that aerosol delivery of PolyE, but not EGCG, may be a useful chemopreventive protocol in subjects at high risk for lung cancer.