INHIBITION OF EXPERIMENTAL CARCINOGENESIS BY THE BIOACTIVE NATURAL PRODUCT BIOBRAN.

Abstract

To investigate the protective effects of biobran against N-nitrosodiethyamine (NDEA) and carbon tetrachloride CCl4-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Hepatocarcinogenesis was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of N-nitrosodiethyamine (NDEA) at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight followed by weekly subcutaneous injections of CCl4 (3 ml/kg) for 6 weeks, as the promoter of carcinogenic effect. After administration of the carcinogen, 25 mg/kg/day of Biobran were administered i.p., five times a week throughout the study. At the end of 20 weeks, the body weight, liver weight were measured, blood samples were collected for liver function tests, liver biopsies were processed for histopathology examination. Results demonstrated that biobran has significantly prevented the decrease of the body weight and the increase in the liver weight caused by NDEA. Liver function tests showed significant increase in serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and γ -glutamyl transpeptidase (γ -GT) of untreated NDEA group, meanwhile treatment with Biobran to rats exposed to carcinogens, significantly minimized the elevation of the liver function enzymes level to be comparable with the normal control values. Histopathological examination of the liver sections of rats subjected to (DENA + CCl4) treatment revealed fibrosis and fatty infiltration of hepatocytes, with inflammatory collection and loss of architecture Biobran treatment showed minimal changes in hepatocyte morphology and histology with no inflammation. this study showed that Biobran has a protective effect against hepatocarcinogenesis induced by NDEA and CCl4 in rats.