[Antitumor effect of capsaicin on colorectal carcinoma xenograft in nude mice].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of capsaicin on nude mice xenografted with colorectal carcinoma cells, and to explore its mechanism of action.

Methods: A nude mouse model of colorectal cancer was established by subcutaneous inoculation of human colorectal carcinoma HT-29 cells. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nicked labeling assay (TUNEL) was undertaken to detect the cell proliferation and apoptosis in the xenograft tissue in nude mice.