Abstract 3684: Saffron protects against liver cancer in animal model: Molecular and imaging insights

Saffron is a natural product that is a promising chemo-preventive agent against different cancer. The aim of the present work was to investigate the chemo-protective effect of saffron ethanol extract on chemically-induced liver cancer in rats. Hepatocarcinogenesis was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) (200 mg/kg body weight) and 2 weeks later, the carcinogenic effect was promoted by 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) (0.05%). 42 Wister rats were divided into seven groups: negative control, positive control (DEN+2-AAF), saffron-alone group (saffron for 22 weeks, no DEN or 2-AAF) and 3 preventive groups (where saffron was administered at 300, 150 and 75 mg/kg for 2 weeks before and 20 weeks after inducing cancer). The incidence and multiplicity of liver tumors as well as the expression of cancer marker, glutathione S-transferase placental form, were significantly reduced in preventive groups. This hepatopreventive effect was confirmed by the decreasing in cancer marker, α feto protein in plasma. Immunohistochemical analyses showed a decrease in cell proliferation marker (Ki67) and an increase of TUNEL-and caspase 3-positive apoptotic cells along with strong expressions of p53 in liver of preventive groups. These protective effect found to be mediated by anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The anti-inflammatory activity was confirmed by saffron-based inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression. The effect of saffron on the expression of nuclear factor nuclear factor-Kappa B (NF-kappa B) was also assessed. The expression of NF-kappa B in the preventive groups was significantly low compared to positive control. The in vitro antioxidant capacity of saffron (FRAP Assay, DPPH Scavenging activity and ABST+ Assay) was significantly high in ethanol-based extract. In addition, NF-kappa B transcription factor seems to regulate the saffron chemo-protective effects. Finally, texture analysis was applied to analyze in vivo MRI images and results were consistent with that of histopathology. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3684. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3684