Antitumor impact of Clostridium sporogenes endospores against diethyl nitrose amine induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats.

Background: The exploration of bacterial endospores as potential antitumor agents has garnered increased attention in recent years. This study investigates the impact of Clostridium sporogenes endospores as modifiers of immune regulation on tumor growth, to refine therapeutic protocols for hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma was induced in adult male albino rats using diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (20mg/kg b.wt/day) orally injected five times a week for 6 consecutive weeks) and subsequently treated with endospores (intravenous injection of endospores once at a dose of 60 million spores/rat), and samples were taken from rats after one month of endospore injection. Multiple parameters, including interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA), and liver function enzymes were assessed. Results: Results demonstrated a remarkable suppression of tumor proliferation and the induction of enduring immunity through IFN-γ stimulation. The levels of inflammatory markers associated with tumor promotion (NF-κB and TNF-α) witnessed significant improvement. This was paralleled by enhancements in antioxidant status and a reduction in lipid peroxidation in liver tissues of the endospore-treated rats compared to the untreated rats. Histopathological examinations, along with elevated liver function enzymes, provided additional support for these observed improvements. Conclusion: this study offers compelling evidence for the potential of safe concentrations of endospores in modulating immune responses and targeting tumor cells, suggesting their plausible roles as adjuvants to augment cancer therapeutic protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]