Excess oxidative stress and inadequate antioxidant capacities are critical features in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to determine whether supplementation with glutathione (GSH) and/or selenium (Se), as antioxidants, attenuates diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. C57BL/6J male mice were randomly assigned to control, DEN, DEN + GSH, DEN + Se, and DEN + GSH + Se groups for 20 weeks. Daily supplementation with GSH and/or Se commenced in the first experimental week and continued throughout the study. DEN was administered in weeks 2-9 and 16-19 of the experimental period. DEN administration induced significant pathological alterations of hepatic foci, evidenced by elevated levels of liver function, accompanied by high malondialdehyde (MDA) levels; low GSH levels; and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities. Supplementation with GSH and Se significantly ameliorated liver pathological changes, reducing liver function and MDA levels while increasing GSH levels and GPx, GR, and GST activities. Notably, combined supplementation with GSH and Se more effectively increased the GSH/glutathione disulfide ratio and GPx activity than individual supplementation. Supplementation with GSH and Se attenuated liver injury in DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenic mice by enhancing GSH and its related antioxidant capacities, thereby mitigating oxidative damage.
Keywords: glutathione; glutathione peroxidase; hepatocarcinogenesis; oxidative stress; selenium.