Potential antitumor effect of tetrodotoxin and/or quercetin against Ehrlich carcinoma in mice

Abstract

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a naturally occurring potent toxin was extracted from the skin of the puffer fish Arothron diadematus. Quercetin (QE) is a flavonoid widely distributed in nature. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of TTX with or without the antioxidant Quercetin on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC)-bearing mice through the investigated biochemical parameters. TTX and/ or QE were administrated after 10 days into EAC-female mice for a period of 2 weeks in six equal doses. All the treatments reduced the elevation of liver enzymes ALT and AST as well as tumor marker GGT and increased liver antioxidant enzymes GPX and SOD whereas the MDA level was decreased in comparison with EAC group. Treatment with TTX plus QE significantly inhibited caspase-3 and the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α level, while, increasing the level of Bcl-2 expression was evoked. In conclusion, these data suggest that TTX had a powerful inhibitory effect on EAC growth and can be extended further to develop a therapeutic protocol for cancer treatment and QE enhanced these effects of TTX by protecting the liver against free radicals induced through TTX treatment.