title: Calligonum comosumextract inhibits diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.
abstract: Calligonum comosum (C. comosum)is an Egyptian desert plant that contains polyphenol antioxidants. The present study examined the chemopreventive effect of an extract ofC. comosumin a rat model of hepatocarcinogenesis. Male Wistar rats (n=40) were administered 100 mg/kg diethylnitrosamine (DEN) by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection once a week for 3 weeks. Subsequently, depending on whether the rats received further administration of 0.8 mg/kg carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) i.p. once a week for 7 weeks and 100 mg/kgC. comosumextract in their diet for 7 weeks, the rats were divided into four groups as follows: Group 1, treatment with DEN alone; group 2, treatment with DEN andC. comosumextract; group 3, treatment with DEN and CCl4; and group 4, treatment with DEN, CCl4andC. comosumextract. The supplementation ofC. comosumextract significantly suppressed the elevation in serum liver enzyme levels, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase and γ-glutamyl transferase, and reduced the degree of oval cell proliferation induced by DEN and CCl4. In addition,C. comosumextract significantly decreased the number and area of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive preneoplastic hepatic foci induced by DEN, with or without CCl4treatment. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to provide definitive evidence of the hepatoprotective and chemopreventive effects ofC. comosum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr el-Sheikh 33516, Egypt ; Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Walied
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Abdo
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Experiment, Life Science Research Center, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr el-Sheikh 33516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shukry
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr el-Sheikh 33516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Essam
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdel-Sattar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Engi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mahrous
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Tokuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanai
keywords: Calligonum comosum; diethylnitrosamine; glutathione S-transferase placental form; liver; oval cell proliferation; rat