psyllium extracts decreased neoplastic phenotypes induced by the Ha-Ras oncogene transfected into a rat liver oval cell line

Inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) by tumor promoters and oncogenes has been implicated in the removal of initiated cells from the suppression of growth by neighboring cells in the tumor promoting step of carcinogenesis. The GJIC of WB-Ha-ras cell line is GJIC-deficient and they are capable of anchorage independent growth (AIG). The ethanol extract of psyllium increased GJIC 1.65-times and decreased AIG in both number and size of colonies in WB-Ha-ras cells. Histochemical staining of the gap junction protein, connexin43, showed that psyllium restored gap junction plaques on the plasma membrane of the WB-Ha-ras cells. In conclusion, the ethanol extract of psyllium reversed two tumor cell phenotypes, namely reduced GJIC and AIG, induced by the Ha-ras oncogene.