title: Inhibitory effect of a mixture containing vitamin C, lysine, proline, epigallocatechin gallate, zinc and alpha-1-antitrypsin on lung carcinogenesis induced by benzo(a) pyrene in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was aimed to evaluate protective and therapeutic effects of a specific mixture, containing vitamin C, lysine, proline, epigallocatechin gallate and zinc, as well as alpha-1-antitrypsin protein on lung tumorigenesis induced by benzo(a) pyrene [B(a)P] in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Swiss albino mice were divided into two main experiments, experiment (1) the mice were injected with 100 mg/kg B(a)P and lasted for 28 weeks, while experiment (2) the mice were injected with 8 doses each of 50 mg/kg B(a)P and lasted for 16 weeks. Each experiment (1 and 2) divided into five groups, group (I) received vehicle, group (II) received the protector mixture, group (III) received the carcinogen B(a)P, group (IV) received the protector together with the carcinogen (simultaneously) and group (V) received the carcinogen then the protector (consecutively).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total sialic acid, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, vascular epithelial growth factor, hydroxyproline levels, as well as elastase and gelatinase activities showed significant elevation in group (III) in the two experiments comparing to control group (P < 0.001). These biochemical alterations were associated with histopathological changes. Administration of the protector in group IV and group V causes significant decrease in such parameters with improvement in histopathological alterations with improvement in histopathological alterations when compared with group III in the two experiments (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present protector mixture has the ability to suppress neoplastic alteration and restore the biochemical and histopathological parameters towards normal on lung carcinogenesis induced by benzo(a) pyrene in mice. Furthermore, the present mixture have more protective rather than therapeutic action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed Mohamed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Ibrahim Hassan
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Borai
authors.forename: Mamdouh Moawad
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Hala Mostafa
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: Azza El-Sayed Ahmed
authors.initials: Ael-S
authors.lastname: Hegazi
authors.forename: Amria Mamdouh
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mousa
keywords: Alpha-1-antitrypsin; benzo(a) pyrene; epigallocatechin gallate; lung tumorigenesis; lysine; proline; protector; vitamin C; zinc