INT Pascale - CROM, Via Ammiraglio Bianco, Mercogliano (AV), Italy.
Mini Rev Med Chem. 2011 Jun;11(7):599-610. doi: 10.2174/138955711795906950.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal cancers in the world. Its etiology includes chronic liver disease, viral hepatitis, alcoholism, and hepatic cirrhosis. Both oxidative stress and inflammatory mechanisms have been implicated in HCC pathophysiology. Surgical resection and liver transplants are currently used to treat HCC. Consequently, there exists a decisive requirement to explore possible alternative chemopreventive and therapeutic strategies for HCC. The use of dietary antioxidants and micronutrients has been proposed as a useful means for the HCC management. Trace elements such as selenium are involved in several major metabolic pathways as well as antioxidant defense systems. In particular, selenium is an important oligo-element that plays a central role in cellular redox processes even if the amount necessary for the cell functions is in a very narrow range. However, selenium is involved in the prevention of numerous chronic diseases and cancers. This review will examine the potential role of selenium in HCC prevention and treatment and, in detail, focus on: i) description of selenium in biological systems and in mammalian proteins, ii) involvement of selenium in HCC, iii) in vivo and in vitro effects of selenium in preclinical models of HCC and iv) potential challenges involved in the selenium use in the prevention and treatment of HCC.
肝细胞癌（HCC）是世界上最致命的癌症之一。其病因包括慢性肝病、病毒性肝炎、酗酒和肝硬化。氧化应激和炎症机制都与 HCC 的病理生理学有关。手术切除和肝移植目前用于治疗 HCC。因此，迫切需要探索 HCC 的可能替代化学预防和治疗策略。饮食抗氧化剂和微量营养素的使用被认为是 HCC 管理的一种有用手段。微量元素，如硒，参与几个主要的代谢途径和抗氧化防御系统。特别是，硒是一种重要的寡元素，在细胞氧化还原过程中起着核心作用，即使细胞功能所需的量非常狭窄。然而，硒参与了许多慢性疾病和癌症的预防。本综述将探讨硒在 HCC 预防和治疗中的潜在作用，并详细关注：i）硒在生物系统和哺乳动物蛋白质中的描述，ii）硒在 HCC 中的作用，iii）硒在 HCC 临床前模型中的体内和体外作用，以及 iv）硒在 HCC 预防和治疗中的应用所涉及的潜在挑战。
