STUDY OF THE ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF CELERY SEED OIL AGAINST CHEMICALLY INDUCED HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN RATS: A MECHANISTIC APPROACH.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major primary malignant tumour of the liver, represents a complex and fatal malignancy driven primarily by oxidative stress and inflammation. Celery seed oil (CSO) is a rich source of phytochemicals endowed with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanisms by which CSO inhibited diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats by analysing the expression patterns of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and caspase-3 immunohistochemically. In addition, serum TNF-α level and liver nitric oxide content were investigated. Rats were administered CSO (300 mg/kg, p.o.) four weeks after DENA-induced HCC. There was a significant elevation in serum TNF-α level and liver nitric oxide content, upregulation of PCNA, NF-kB and COX-2 in DENA-exposed rats. Administration of CSO decreased the expression of PCNA and increased the expression of caspase-3, indicating antiproliferative and apoptotic effects, respectively. Moreover, CSO markedly suppressed all aforementioned elevated inflammatory parameters. Our study provides evidence that CSO exerts its anticancer effect through antiproliferative, proapoptotic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.