Effect of silymarin on N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of silymarin on the levels of tumor markers and MDA (malondialdehyde)-DNA adduct formation during N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocellular carcinoma in male Wistar albino rats.


METHODS
The levels of AFP, CEA and activities of liver marker enzymes in serum, MDA-DNA immunohistochemistry were done according to standard procedures in the control and experimental groups of rats.


RESULTS
Hepatocellular carcinoma was evidenced from significant (p < 0.05) increases of alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and 5'-nucleotidase in serum and increased MDA-DNA adducts were also observed in the tissue sections of hepatocellular carcinoma. Silymarin treatment significantly attenuated the alteration of these markers and decreased the levels of MDA-DNA adduct formation.


CONCLUSIONS
Silymarin could be developed as a promising chemotherapeutic adjuvant for the treatment of liver cancer.
Ramakrishnan
G
G
Department of Biochemistry, University of Madras, Tamilnadu, India.
Augustine
T A
TA
Jagan
S
S
Vinodhkumar
R
R
Devaki
T
T
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018736:DNA Adducts / Q000378:metabolism; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012838:Silymarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018736:DNA Adducts; D012838:Silymarin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase