Abstract

PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION GERMANIUM (IV)- HESPERIDIN COMPLEX FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA ON RATS

Abhirup Mukherjee* and Supriya Mana

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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the anti-carcinogenic activity of Germanium- Hesperidin (Ge-Hp) complex in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced in rats. Methods: Female albino rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each. Group 1 was the normal control. Group 2 were given diethylnitrosamine 200mg/kg in 0.1% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)/ day for 4 weeks. Group 2 and Group 3 received test drug (Ge-Hp) and doxorubicin (standard drug) after induction of HCC for one month. All the animals were sacrificed at the end of treatment protocol and their biological samples were used to determine ALT, ALP, LDH, total bilirubin and alphafetoprotein. Weights of the liver and liver tumors were measured. Histopathology was performed on the rats of each group. Results: The gross tumor characteristics showed reduction in macro and micronodules in Ge-Hp treated compared to DENA treated control group. The serum levels of AFP, ALP, SGOT and SGPT in Ge-Hp Vs standard drug (doxorubicin) are (9.95±0.5 vs 7.23±0.8), (299.8±3.1 vs 309.3±3.1), (79.83 ± 4.93 vs 80.17 ± 2.98), and (61.83 ±2.798 vs58.83 ±2.372). Conclusion: Ge-Hp complex decreased the elevated levels of AFP, ALP, LDH, SGOT and SGPT in hepatocellular cancer on rats. All these parameters suggest that the complex Ge-Hp prove to have significant and potential against DENA induced cancerous lesions.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, germanium, hesperidin, DENA, doxorubicin, alphafetoprotein.