The effect of the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus on hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by diethylnitrosamine.
Histopathological studies of the hepatic tissues of Wistar rats treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (200 mg/kg b wt, i.p.) once a week for 2 weeks, followed by treatment with DDT, a tumor promoter (0.05% in diet) for 2 weeks and kept under observation for another 18 weeks, demonstrated the development of malignancy. Pretreatment of Wistar rats with the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus prevented the incidence of hepatocarcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical staining of the hepatic tissues of rats treated with DEN showed the presence of p53+ foci (clusters of cells expressing the mutated p53 protein), whereas an absence of p53+ foci was observed in Wistar rats pretreated with the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus. The microsections of the hepatic tissue of rats treated with DEN followed by treatment with the aqueous extract of Asparagus racemosus showed an absence of p53+ foci. The results of the biochemical determinations also show that pretreatment of Wistar rats with the aqueous extract of Asparagus racemosus leads to the amelioration of oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity brought about by treatment with DEN. These results prove that the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus has the potential to act as an effective formulation to prevent hepatocarcinogenesis induced by treatment with DEN.
Agrawal
Alka
A
Dr B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007, India.
Sharma
Meenakshi
M
Rai
Santosh Kumar
SK
Singh
Bharat
B
Tiwari
Manisha
M
Chandra
Ramesh
R
D000818:Animals; D027761:Asparagus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
D002273:Carcinogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione