Chemopreventive efficacy of selenium against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatoma in albino rats.

The chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic effect of sodium selenite on tricarboxylic acid cycle key enzymes was investigated against hepatoma induced by environmental carcinogen N-nitrosodiethylamine. Decreased activities of TCA cycle key enzymes such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (alpha-KGDH) in hepatoma and surrounding tissues of hepatoma-bearing rats were observed. Upon selenium supplementation the above biochemical changes were reverted in a dose- and duration-dependent manner. This study further confirms the chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic effect of sodium selenite which is found to be more effective in the initiation phase of carcinogenesis.