Protective effect of soybean against hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DL-ethionine.
There has been increasing interest in the value of using soybean to delay or reduce the tumor incidence. This study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effects of soybean against hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DL-ethionine. Accordingly, we measured biochemical changes occurring in serum and liver of rats treated with DL-ethionine in the presence or absence of soybean. Male albino rats were fed a control diet containing the hepatocarcinogen, DL-ethionine, or the control diet plus soybean 30%, or the control diet plus soybean plus DL-ethionine 0.25% for three months and then returned to a control diet for up to nine months. Rats fed a control diet plus DL-ethionine showed a gradual decrease in liver DNA, RNA, total protein, and liver weight and enzyme activities of liver transaminases (GOT and GPT) and alkaline phosphatase over the 7-month study period. This was followed by a large increase in the liver parameters at the end of the 9(th) month, except for 5'-nucleotidase and glucose-6-phosphatase that showed a large decrease. On the other hand, a gradual increase in the serum enzyme activities of GOT, GPT, 5-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase, and in the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio is observed in the group of rats fed a control diet plus DL-ethionine compared to the control group over 8 months, and this was followed by a large increase in all serum parameters studied at nine-months. The administration of 30% soybean to the rat diet in addition to DL-ethionine maintained all parameters studied at near control values until the end of the 9(th) month. This study suggests that soybean has a protective effect against the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DL-ethionine.
Department of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Fatma
F
Aiad
Basiouny
B
El-Gamal
Jehan
J
Al-Meer
Zinab
Z
El-Kerdasy
Nadia
N
Zakhary
Abdelbaset
A
El-Aaser
D000818:Animals; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D004032:Diet; D005001:Ethionine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D013025:Glycine max
D000963:Antimetabolites; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D002273:Carcinogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D005001:Ethionine