title: Can methanolic extract of Nigella sativa seed affect glyco-regulatory enzymes in experimental hepatocellular carcinoma?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible modulating role of "Nigella sativa" (NS), a plant commonly used in Egyptian traditional medicine, on premalignant perturbations in three glycol-regulatory enzymes in an experimental rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six (36) male albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 9). Group 1 served as a normal control, group 2 was treated with methanolic extract of Nigella sativa (MENS) (1 g/kg/day, orally) for 14 weeks, group 3 received a single intraperitoneal dose of diethyl nitrosamine (DENA) (200 mg/kg), followed 2 weeks later by a subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4), 3 ml/kg/week/6 weeks) and group IV was treated with MENS for 2 weeks prior to administration of the carcinogenic combination (DENA + CCl(4), as in group 3) until the end of the experiment. The total period of the experiment was 14 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the DENA + CCl(4)-treated group, there was a significant increase in the relative liver weight, serum alpha fetoprotein level and the activities of hexokinase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase and glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase in both the serum and liver homogenate; this was accompanied by a subsequent decrease in body weight. Pre-treatment with MENS significantly maintained these parameters close to the normal condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, we conclude that MENS has a chemo-preventive effect against the progression into liver malignancy through its modulation of the energy metabolic pathways (i.e. glycolysis) that may be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis.
authors: Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia, Egypt. nabilmohie@yahoo.com
authors: N M
authors: NM
authors: Abdel-Hamid
authors: M I
authors: MI
authors: Abdel-Ghany
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Nazmy
authors: S W
authors: SW
authors: Amgad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006593:Hexokinase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D031881:Nigella sativa / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases; D006593:Hexokinase; D000432:Methanol