Silymarin and Potassium Bromate in EAC-bearing Mice: histopathological and Immunohistological study

Abstract

Abstract Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Reactive oxygen species induce pathology by damaging lipids, proteins, and DNA. Elevated reactive oxygen species levels, accompanied with down-regulation of cellular antioxidant enzyme systems, result in malignant transformation. Potassium bromate is a chemical oxidizing agent that is a famous flour improver. It can attack cellular constituents through reactive oxygen species and destroy the cellular structures so it may lead to cancer as a result of administration of it for a long time. Plant polyphenols such as silymarin reported to be a safe nontoxic agent to treat several diseases such as cancer. The anticancer mechanism of action of silymarin has been attributed to its antioxidant activity, antiproliferation, and cell cycle arrest, as it causes apoptosis in cancer cells. We aimed to investigate the effect of silymarin, and administration of potassium bromate on mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. Histopathological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies were applied on the liver, kidney, and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. Silymarin was found to destroy tumors and improve the histological changes induced by Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in liver and kidney of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing mice. Potassium bromate showed an improvement in the histological changes induced by Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in liver and kidney of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing mice and caused mitochondrial degeneration and nuclear distortion in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells but showed no effect on non Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing mice. The present study revealed that silymarin and potassium bromate could be very promising anticancer agents.