title: Quercetin inhibits diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic preneoplastic lesions in rats.
abstract: Quercetin is an antioxidant flavonoid, found ubiquitously in nature and extensively used in herbal medicines and food additives. This study aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin on diethylnitrosamine-induced preneoplastic lesions, using the medium-term rat liver bioassay. The γ-benzene hexachloride was used as promoter at the doses of 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 mg/kg against a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. All the rats were subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy at Week 4. The protective effect of quercetin (5 and 25 mg/kg) was examined against the highest dose of γ-benzene hexachloride (10 mg/kg). A significant increase in the number as well as the mean area of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci, p53 positive hepatocytes, and the percentage of apoptotic cells were observed in the diethylnitrosamine-treated group. In the present investigation, both doses of QC (5 and 25 mg/kg) led to a significant decrease in the number as well as the mean area of GST-P positive foci, TUNEL positive apoptotic cells, p53 positive hepatocytes, and restoration of cellular morphology. These results clearly indicate that quercetin inhibits diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic preneoplastic lesions in medium-term rat liver bioassay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramarao
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Jena
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006498:Hepatectomy; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000633:toxicity; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D011794:Quercetin; D005982:Glutathione Transferase