Therapeutic efficacy of a Dioscorea membranacea extract in a rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma: Histopathological aspects.
J Tradit Complement Med
; 11(5): 400-408, 2021 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34522634
ABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is most common in adults and has a high mortality rate because of a lack of effective treatment options. We investigated the effect of a medicinal plant as a potential source of drugs against HCC. The rhizomes of Dioscorea membranacea Pierre (DM), Hua-Khao-Yen in Thai, are commonly used as ingredients for alternative treatment of cancer in Thailand. In this study, the anticancer effects of DM extract in HCC-bearing rats were evaluated with respect to gross morphology, histopathology, and leakage of liver enzymes. In untreated HCCs, typical features of liver cancer, including hepatic nodules, thick-cell cords, and pseudoglandular cell arrangements, were observed. In addition, the HCCs showed abnormal reticulin patterns and a high glypican3 expression. In HCC-bearing rats treated with DM the cancer areas and reticulin expression were significantly reduced compared to the untreated group (p < 0.01). Sorafenib, the standard drug to treat HCC, reduced the cancer area further, but increased leakage of liver enzymes and decreased serum albumin concentration, indicating liver toxicity. These findings suggest that DM has an anticancer effect on HCCs in an animal model in vivo with potentially less severe side effects than sorafenib. Therefore, further studies of DM's mechanism of action in HCC should be carried out.
ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; DEN, diethylnitrosamine; DM, Dioscorea membranacea; GGT, γ-glutamyltransferase; GPC3, glypican3; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; Hua-Khao-Yen; Liver cancer; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; Reticulin; SF, sorafenib; TAA, thioacetamide; TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling; Traditional medicine; glypican3
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Language:
En
Journal:
J Tradit Complement Med
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: