title: Chlorella vulgaris triggers apoptosis in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats.
abstract: Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. We evaluated the effect of CV on apoptotic regulator protein expression in liver cancer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats (200~250 g) were divided into eight groups: control group (normal diet), CDE group (choline deficient diet supplemented with ethionine in drinking water to induce hepatocarcinogenesis), CV groups with three different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight), and CDE groups treated with different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were sacrificed at various weeks and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin blocks for immunohistochemistry studies. CV, at increasing doses, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, but increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 8, in CDE rats, which was correlated with decreased hepatocytes proliferation and increased apoptosis as determined by bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis via decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of caspase 8 in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, UKM Medical Center, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: Emey Suhana
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Mohd Azamai
authors.forename: Suhaniza
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.forename: Shafina Hanim
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mohd Habib
authors.forename: Mee Lee
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Looi
authors.forename: Srijit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Nor Aini
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Abdul Hamid
authors.forename: Wan Zurinah
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wan Ngah
authors.forename: Yasmin Anum
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Mohd Yusof
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048408:Chlorella vulgaris / Q000737:chemistry*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C518724:CML-1 plant extract; D010936:Plant Extracts