Apple Seed Extract in Cancer Treatment: Assessing Its Effects on Liver Damage and Recovery

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer therapies often cause liver damage (hepatotoxicity), impacting treatment outcomes.
• Natural products, like apple polyphenols, show potential hepatoprotective effects through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.
• The PI3K-Akt pathway is crucial in regulating cell survival and is implicated in liver protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if apple stem extract (ASE) can mitigate cancer-related liver injury in an endometrial cancer mouse model.
• To determine ASE's effect on the apoptosis-survival signaling axis and PI3K-Akt pathway in liver tissue.
• To assess ASE's potential to restore liver structure and function during cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Endometrial cancer was induced in mice, followed by administration of varying doses of ASE.
• Liver tissues were analyzed using histology, Western blot, ELISA, and qRT-PCR to measure key proteins and signaling molecules.
• ImageJ software was used for quantitative analysis of histological data.

Main Results:

• ASE demonstrated a dose-dependent effect on apoptosis and survival markers in the liver.
• Specific ASE doses modulated Caspase-9/3 and Bcl-xL expression, indicating a rebalancing of cell death pathways.
• PI3K-Akt signaling and IL-2 levels were preserved or restored towards baseline, with partial histological recovery observed.

Conclusions:

• Apple stem extract (ASE) shows potential in mitigating cancer therapy-induced liver injury.
• ASE may exert its protective effects by rebalancing apoptosis-survival signaling and promoting liver structural recovery.
• Further research is needed to optimize dose, route, and formulation for clinical translation.