The hepatoprotective effect of basic curcumin and bis (tetrachlorocuprate -lysine) combined with
ascorbate against ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) and chloroform induced hepatic carcinogenesis in rats
was evaluated. One hundred rats were divided into five equal groups. Normal control group,
carcinogenic (Fe-NTA: 9 mg Fe/kg b.wt. i.p.) and chloroform (150 mg/ kg b.wt. orally)-induced group,
curcumin group (400 mg/kg. b.wt. orally), tetrachlorocuprate-lysine (25 mg/kg. b. wt. s.c.) and ascorbate
(500 mg/kg. b. wt. orally) group and a mixture group (composed of curcumin, tetrachlorocuprate -lysine
and ascorbate). Blood samples and liver tissue specimens were collected at the end of experiment (4
months) for determination of the following parameters: activities of serum malondialdehyde (MDA),
reduced glutathione (GSH), tissue catalase, myeloperoxidase (MPO), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α
), interleukin-1, nuclear factor kappaB65 (NFkB65) and caspase-3. The obtained results showed that
injection of carcinogen caused a significant elevation in the MDA, MPO and immunological markers
levels, and significant reduction in the reduced glutathione, and catalase compared to the control group.
Compared to carcinogenic group, rats administered with the treated compounds resulted in a significant
reduction of MDA, MPO and immunological markers levels, and increased in reduced glutathione and
catalase activity. These results concluded that basic curcumin, tetrachlorocuprate-lysine and ascorbate
exert chemopreventative effect against hepatocellular carcinoma