Chemopreventive Role of Apigenin against the Synergistic Carcinogenesis of Human Papillomavirus and 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone.

Tobacco smoke and human papillomavirus (HPV) are both crucial causes of cancer, and their cooperative carcinogenesis has drawn more attention in recent years. Apigenin (AP), a typical flavonoid abundantly found in flowers of plants, vegetables, and fruits, has been demonstrated to exert an anti-carcinogenic effect on various types of cancer. In this study, we investigated the capability of AP against malignant transformation and DNA damage of immortalized human esophageal epithelial (SHEE) cells induced by the synergism of HPV18 and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK).