Table 1. Toxicological results and organ weights.
| Parameters | Control | HN3-PE38 | HN3-mPE24 | HN3-HN3-mPE24 | Normal Range 1.6–2.8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White blood cells (K μl−1) | 3.92 ± 1.16 | *10.7 ± 4.06 | ***28.57 ± 4.36 | ****17.11 ± 0.64 | 1.80–10.70 |
| Red blood cells (M μl−1) | 8.46 ± 0.90 | 8.60 ± 0.85 | 9.52 ± 1.15 | 7.22 ± 0.58 | 6.36–9.42 |
| Albumin (g dl−1) | 4.67 ± 0.15 | **3.90 ± 0.20 | ***2.80 ± 0.26 | **3.70 ± 0.26 | 1.6–2.8 |
| Alanine aminotransferase (U/I) | 69.33 ± 32.31 | *403.67 ± 126.00 | *346.67 ± 129.33 | 99.67 ± 47.06 | 29–181 |
| Total bilirubin (mg dl−1) | 0.37 ± 0.06 | 0.33 ± 0.06 | 0.33 ± 0.06 | 0.33 ± 0.06 | 0.0–0.6 |
| Creatine (mg dl−1) | < 0.2 | < 0.2 | < 0.2 | < 0.2 | 0.2–0.4 |
| Hemoglobin (g dl−1) | 12.33 ± 1.26 | 12.73 ± 0.75 | 13.63 ± 1.59 | 10.37 ± 0.81 | 11.00–15.10 |
| Total protein (g dl−1) | 5.93 ± 0.15 | 5.03 ± 0.25 | 4.2 ± 0.56 | 5.37 ± 0.80 | 4.2–5.9 |
| Blood urea nitrogen (mg dl−1) | 20.00 ± 2.65 | 19.00 ± 1.73 | 16.33 ± 2.51 | 15.33 ± 4.04 | 12–52 |
| Organ Weight (mg) | |||||
| Brain | 447 ± 21 | 440 ± 10 | 437 ± 38 | 447 ± 23 | |
| Heart | 107 ± 12 | 137 ± 64 | 113 ± 21 | 113 ± 12 | |
| Kidney | 287 ± 29 | 307 ± 35 | 293 ± 50 | 310 ± 17 | |
| Liver | 940 ± 118 | *1207 ± 74 | 1283 ± 238 | 1040 ± 66 | |
| Lung | 160± 44 | 157± 38 | 200 ± 46 | 177 ± 32 | |
| Spleen | 137 ± 15 | 133 ± 15 | 160 ± 62 | 160 ± 10 | |
Nude mice were s.c. inoculated with 8 × 106 Hep3B cells. When tumors reached an average volume of 100 mm3, mice were administered with 0.6 mg kg−1 HN3-PE38, 2.5 mg kg−1 HN3-HN3-mPE24 and 5 mg kg−1 HN3-mPE24 intravenously every other day for a total of ten injections. Blood was collected and then mice were sacrificed to obtain organs. Control and HN3-PE38: n = 8, HN3-HN3-mPE24: n = 5, HN3-mPE24: n = 11. Values represent mean ± SD. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 and ****p < 0.0001.