Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Rats Induced With Diethyl Nitrosamine and the Hepatoprotective Role of Some Antioxidants

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt

2 General Biology, Basic Science Center, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt.

3 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and in Egypt the most common form of primary liver cancer.  HCC represents the second most prevalent cancer among men in Egypt. The important risk factors for HCC include hepatitis C and B, alcoholic, schistosomiasis, aflatoxins (AFB), hypothirodism and cirrhosis. Diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) is a well-known strong hepatocarcinogenic agent. It is known that DEN induces damage in enzymes involved in DNA repair and is normally used to induce liver cancer in experimental animal models as rats. Curcumin is a strong anti-inflammatory agent and anti-cancer effects with strong therapeutic potential against a variety of cancers. Vitamin C is an important free radical scavenger in extracellular fluids, trapping radicals and protecting bio membranes from peroxide damage and tissue damage of the liver and in HCC cases. Objective: To evaluate the hematological parameters and some liver function tests in the early stage of HCC and the hepatoprotective role of curcumin and vitamin C.Materials and methods: This study was conducted on a patch of 90 adult mature healthy male albino rats (Rattus rattus) averaged weight (190 ± 10 g) were allowed to acclimatize in the laboratory and distributed into 9 groups 10 rats for each. Hematological parameters and some hepatic tests were measured and histopathology of the liver, for all groups at the end of the experiment.Results: The results showed that significant alterations in all hematological parameters and hepatic function tests when compared with its corresponding level in the control group, and when treated with curcumin and vitamin c the results showed improvement for some parameters when compared with DEN group. Conclusion: Antioxidants like curcumin and vitamin C administration improved the hematological parameters and liver function tests.

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