Protective and therapeutic effects of cannabis plant extract on liver cancer induced by dimethylnitrosamine in mice

Peer review under responsibility of Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine.

Available online 23 May 2014

Figures & data

Figure 1 GC chromatogram of cannabis vapor extract.

Figure 2 GC/MS chromatograms showing that the cannabis vapor extract contains (A) Δ⁹THC and (B) cannabidiol.

Figure 3 (A) Amplification plot and (B) melting curves of TERT m-RNA for all the studied groups, where A is group I, B is group II, C is group III, D is group IV and E is group V.

Figure 4 (A) Amplification plot and (B) melting curves of caspase-8 m-RNA for all studied groups.

Table 1 Hepatic TERT mRNA, caspase-8 m-RNA expression level (copies), ALT, AST and γ-GT activities (U/L) for all studied groups.

Groups	TERT mRNA expression level (copies)	Caspase-8 mRNA expression level (copies)	ALT activity (U/L)	AST activity (U/L)	γ-GT activity (U/L)
Control (gp I)
	1.22 ± 0.62	1.08 ± 0.41	345.47 ± 13.06	434.8 ± 23.58	5.02 ± 0.12
DMNA (gp II)
	116.13 ± 61.47^a	0.11 ± 0.04^a	139.87 ± 8.20^a	205.0 ± 12.49^a	8.21 ± 0.49^a
Cannabis before DMNA (gp III)
	2.29 ± 1.52^b	0.35 ± 0.12^a^,^b	285.93 ± 11.93^a^,^b	362.33 ± 19.88^a^,^b	6.54 ± 0.24^a^,^b
Cannabis plus DMNA (gp IV)
	3.08 ± 4.25^b	0.15 ± 0.09^a	265.93 ± 11.93^a^,^b^,^c	342.33 ± 19.88^a^,^b	7.12 ± 0.31^a^,^b^,^c
Cannabis after DMNA (gp V)
	9.60 ± 7.0^b	0.12 ± 0.04^a^,^c	284.40 ± 13.30^a^,^b^,^d	352.53 ± 23.22^a^,^b	6.70 ± 0.26^a^,^b^,^d

Statistically significant at p ⩽ 0.05.

ANOVA test used for comparing between the different studied groups.

Number for each group (n) = 15.

a Comparing with control group (I).

b Comparing groups III, IV, V with group II.

c Comparing groups IV, V with group III.

d Comparing group V with group IV.

Figure 5 Correlation between (A) mTERT and (B) caspase-8 mRNA foreach ALT, AST and GGT.

Figure 6 (Control group) showing normal hepatic architecture (H&E ×400).

Figure 7 (Group II) showing well differentiated HCC with foci of necrosis (H&E ×400).

Figure 8 (Group III) moderately differentiated HCC showing frequent apoptotic figures (H&E, ×400).

Figure 9 (Group IV) HCC showing necrosis (center) and apoptotic bodies (arrows) (H&E, ×400).

Figure 10 (Group V) HCC showing frequent apoptotic bodies (fragmented chromatin) (H&Estain, ×400).