Protective Effects of Garlic and Cinnamon Oils on Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Albino Rats.

Natural oils are traditional medicinal herbs, which have attracted interests for its potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The present work is aimed at evaluating the protective effect of garlic oil and cinnamon oil on diethylnitrosamine- (DENA-) and 2-acetylaminofluorene- (2-AAF-) induced p53 gene mutation and hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Forty male albino rats were divided into 4 equal groups: control, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), garlic oil-HCC, and cinnamon oil-HCC. The HCC-induced group showed a significant decrease in the body mass and a significant elevation in the liver weight, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), liver enzymes, hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), and p53 protein expression levels as well as genetic mutations in intron 5 of p53 gene in the form of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions. In addition, the glutathione (GSH) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were increased. While HCC rats pretreated with garlic oil or cinnamon oil were significantly reversed, these destructive actions increased GSH and SOD levels. The HCC-induced group showed histopathological features of liver cancer including hypercellularity, nuclear hyperchromasia, mitotic figures, and preneoplastic foci. On the other hand, HCC rats pretreated with garlic oil or cinnamon oil revealed partial reversal of normal liver architecture. The present findings proposed that these natural oils have the ability to improve liver function, significantly reduced the liver toxicity and HCC development. However, further sophisticated studies are recommended before their use as conventional therapeutics for HCC treatment.

Toxopathological and cytogenetic effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on pregnant rats.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the toxopathological effects and macro-DNA damage of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in pregnant rats at a dose of 1mg/kg. body wt., given from 6th to 15th day of gestation. The effects and damage are represented by histopathological changes and different types of chromosomal aberrations in dams, in addition to teratogenic changes in the feti. Pregnant dams revealed a significant decrease in their body weights and gross enlargement of the liver. Histologically, the liver showed necrotic areas and congested central vein. The kidneys revealed interstitial hemorrhages, renal casts, degeneration and necrosis. The lungs revealed lymphocytic infiltrates in the interstitial tissue, while the spleen revealed lymphoid depletion. Chromosomal analysis revealed both structural and numerical chromosomal aberration, including centromeric attenuations, chromatid gaps, chromatid breaks, end-to-end associations, fragments, ring chromosomes, deletions, dicentric chromosomes, chromosomal fusions, centric fusions, stickness and hypoployploidy. Centromeric attenuations and end-to-end associations were more frequent than other chromosomal aberrations. Concerning the teratogenic effects in the fetuses, the toxin induced multiple skeletal anomalies. These anomalies included incomplete ossification of skull bones and failure of ossification of long and flat bones.

Histopathological changes in liver of mice after experimental envenomation with Androctonus amoreuxi scorpion venom.

A total of 78 adult male Albino mice were divided into thirteen groups (6 mice in each). One served as a control group and the other twelve groups were venom treated groups. The mice of treated groups were injected with 0.1 ml saline solution in which a particular amount of scorpion venom. The first 6 groups were subcutaneously injected with 1/2 LD50 (0.05 microg/g body weight), while the other 6 groups were injected with 1/4 LD 50 (0.025 microg/g body weight) by the same route. The animals from each group were anesthetized with ethyl ether and sacrificed at different time intervals (3, 6, 9, 12 hrs, 4 & 7days post toxin administration). The microscopic examination of liver tissue obtained from envenomed animals showed variable histopathological changes being severely increased with the time interval of envenoming. The most obvious changes in the liver were acute cellular swelling, hydropic degeneration, congestion of central veins and portal blood vessels. Besides, extramedullary hematopoiesis and invaginations in nuclei of hepatic cells, with formation of intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions were observed.