Conclusion
A 100 mg/kg dose of RSV may be a promising treatment for HCC.
Methods
The rats were randomly divided into six groups of seven rats each (n=42). The control group (group 1) was injected with saline, group 2 with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), group 3 with DEN, group 4 with DEN and 50 mg/kg of RSV (DEN+RSV 50), group 5 with DEN and 75 mg/kg of RSV (DEN+RSV 75), and group 6 with DEN and 100 mg/kg of RSV (DEN+RSV 100). Pro-apoptotic Bax/anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and tumor suppressor p53 markers were analyzed by immunostaining.
Results
Superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and malondialdehyde concentrations were not statistically significant in DEN+RSV 100 group but were closest to the concentrations in control group. Liver function tests showed that enzyme activity (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and γ-glutamyl transferase) increased in DEN+RSV 50 and DEN+RSV 100 groups compared with control group but decreased in DEN+RSV 50 and DEN+RSV 100 groups compared with DEN group. Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 analysis showed a statistically significant increase in apoptotic cells in DEN+RSV 100 group.