Anti-cancer Characteristics of Bee Venom and Assess its Anti- Tumor Effect Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma Induced in Male Albino Mice

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the world's most prevalent and serious diseases, known for its high mortality rate. In recent years, there has been a strong trend towards herbal-based alternative medicine as an effective and safe treatment for various diseases. Herin, the efficiency of bee venom in HCC mice and evaluation its potential as a cancer resistance agent were investigated. In our study 50 mice were divided into 5 groups. The Negative control group, the Positive group was injected with CCl4 only, the treatment group received CCl4 followed by bee venom (0.1mg/kg), the protective group received bee venom (0.1mg/kg) followed by CCl4 and the chemotherapy group received CCl4 followed by cisplatin. Liver tissue and blood samples were collected from the mice after the experiment was completed. The positive group exhibited histological characteristics of HCC, while mice treated with bee venom and cisplatin showed partial restoration of normal liver architecture. Administration of bee venom resulted in a significant decrease in liver enzymes compared to the positive group. Furthermore, a significant decrease in Tumor Growth Factor (TGF-β1) (55.5±4.33), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α) (48.5±5.485), and Anti-liver Kidney Microsomal Antibody (LKMA) (11±1.155) levels compared to the positive control group (242.3±10.68) (499±9.815) (80.33±7.219) (P ≤ 0.05) respectively. Additionally, there was a significant increase in Interleukin-12 (IL-12) )198±10.39(compared to the positive group )50.33±2.603((P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicated a significant therapeutic effect of bee venom against HCC, as evidenced by improvements in serum liver enzymes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, antitumor cytokines, and immunological marker.