The ameliorative impacts of curcumin on copper oxychloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract Background Copper oxychloride (COC) (50% of its component, copper) is copper-based fungicides. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of 80 mg/kg curcumin against the toxicity of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg COC per kilogram body weight for 90 days on the liver of a rat. Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), hepatic glutathione reduced content (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected. The histological and ultrastructure changes of the liver tissues as well as the hepatic content of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc were also reported. Results COC-treated rats showed an increase of SGPT and SGOT, with the elevation of copper and zinc content and MDA levels with no change in GSH level. The liver showed a significant increase in the copper and iron contents. The liver of COC-treated rats showed histological and ultrastructural damage that increased with increasing the COC dose. Conversely, curcumin supplementation potentially recovered liver function enzymes in only low doses of COC, reduced MDA level, increased GSH content, and improved the hepatic lesions. These findings revealed that subchronic exposure to even low levels of COC may have potential hazards and harmful effects on the liver, and the curcumin markedly attenuated the COC biochemical, histological, and cellular alterations in liver tissues, best with the low dose of COC. Conclusions It is concluded that curcumin has a limited protective role against COC liver toxicity

Ameliorative Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract on Brain Oxidative Stress and Depression of Diabetic Rats

Evaluation of the efficacy of ashwagandha root extract to ameliorate the oxidative stress and depression resulting from diabetes in male rats was conducted in the current study. Thirty-six male albino rats were randomly grouped into two main groups: normal (n=18) and diabetic (n=18), diabetes was induced by a single dose of 150 mg/kg BW alloxan injected intraperitoneally. After six weeks, both normal and diabetic groups were further subdivided into six sub-groups; normal control, 100 & 200 mg/kg BW ashwagandha treated normal, diabetic control, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW ashwagandha treated diabetic groups, for another six weeks. The forced swim test was used to assess depression, and serum serotonin levels were measured. In brain tissue homogenates, the glutathione reduced content, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity were measured, as well as the total antioxidant capacity, total oxidative capacity, and malondialdehyde levels. Moreover, histopathological examination of the brain (cerebral cortex and cerebellum) were conducted. The obtained results revealed that the administration of ashwagandha extract to diabetic rats reduced immobility time during the forced swim test while increasing the serotonin levels significantly when compared with the diabetic group. Similar to this, brain total antioxidant capacity, glutathione reduced content, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity increased significantly, while brain total oxidative capacity, oxidative stress index, and malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly when compared with the diabetic group. Furthermore, the histopathological changes in brain sections were reversed by ashwagandha root extract. In conclusion, ashwagandha root extract can be used to ameliorate the brain oxidative stress and depression brought on by diabetes mellitus at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg BW.

Amelioratory Effect of Vitamin D3 on some Liver Function and Histological Alterations in Experimentally Obese Albino Rats

Obesity is a global public health issue. It is associated with a spectrum of liver abnormalities, like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Vitamin D3 on light microscopic changes in the liver, as well as hematology and some liver enzymes in experimentally overweight albino rats. Five groups of thirty-five male albino rats were formed. For three months, Control (C) group received a standard laboratory diet. Corn oil (CO) group received normal balanced diet and given orally 20 mg/kg corn oil daily. Vitamin D (D) group received normal balanced diet and orally treated daily with 5000 IU/kg of vitamin D3. Overweight (OW) group rats received high caloric diet. Overweight/ vitamin D (OWD) group received high caloric diet and treated with oral vitamin D3 5000 IU/kg daily. Liver weights of animals were recorded, blood samples for hematology, some liver functions, catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were collected. Liver samples were fixed in 10% formal saline then stained by H&E for histological examination. OW group had significantly higher liver weights, and liver function than CO group. Histologically, there was an increase of fatty degeneration in the OW group. However, OWD group was lower in all the measured and examined liver parameters than that of CO group in this study vitamin D3 supplement could ameliorate the abnormal changes in the hepatocytes induced by obesity

Biochemical, Histological and Ultrastructural Studies on the Effect of Citric acid Supplementation on Aflatoxins-intoxicated Japanese Quail

For poultry farmers and quails producers’, one of the biggest challenges is dealing with natural diet contaminants like mycotoxins. Worldwide, mycotoxins are present in all feed sources, primarily in corn, and they significantly reduce the health, immune function, and performance of birds. For this purpose, the effect of citric acid (CA) supplement on contaminated diet with Aflatoxins (AFL) in the liver biochemical, histological, and ultrastructural studies of male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix). Influences of experimental diets were assessed in 3 replications of 6 birds each (n = 18 per treatment). Quails two weeks old were assigned into 4 equal groups. The control quails fed only basal diet, AFL group quails were given basal diet contaminated with 2.5 mg AFL/kg diet, citric group quails fed basal diet with 10 g citric acid/Kg, and AFL/citric group quails fed basal diet contaminated with 2.5 mg AFL /Kg and augmented with 10 g/Kg citric acid. After four weeks, feeding AFL to quails induced hepatotoxicity as evidenced by significant decline in body weight, serum albumin and total protein while it significantly increased serum ALT, and AST activities. AFL also induces liver oxidative stress by the elevation of lipid peroxidation and reducing GPx, ADH, SOD and catalase activities. Descriptive hepatic histological and ultrastructural alteration were also noted in the AFL group. Treatment with CA induced an increase in total protein, albumin, SOD, GPx, ADH and significantly decreased ALT and AST activities and MDA level. Moreover, it also improved the histological and ultrastructure alternations induced in the liver of AFL group. It was concluded that supplementation of CA into the AFL polluted diets lessened the adverse influences of AFL on quail’s liver

The Reno and Hepatoprotective Effects of SAMWA Plant (Cleome droserifolia) Methanolic Extract against Adrenaline-Induced Adverse Effect to Male Rats

Adrenaline is widely used drug to combat several conditions such as allergy and anaphylaxis. The current work was to investigate the renal and hepatic complications following adrenaline injection, in addition, the impact of Cleome (SAMWA) methanolic extract on adrenaline- induced renal and hepatic alterations. Twenty-four male Wister rats were divided equally into four groups; Normal control group received oral distilled water for 30 consecutive days and administered subcutaneous saline on the 31st and 32nd days. The Cleome extract (200 mg/kg) group received Cleome methanolic extract (200 mg/kg, P.O) for 30 consecutive days and administered subcutaneous saline on the 31st and 32nd days. The adrenaline group received distilled water orally for 30 consecutive days and administered subcutaneous adrenaline (2 mg/kg, s.c.) divided into two doses (1 mg/kg, s.c) each on the 31st and 32nd days. Cleome extract (200 mg/kg)/ adrenaline received Cleome methanolic extract (200 mg/kg, P. O) for 30 consecutive days and administered subcutaneous adrenaline (2 mg/kg, s.c.) divided into two doses (1 mg/kg, s.c) each on the 31st and 32nd days. Liver and kidney function biomarkers in addition to histopathological analyses were evaluated. Adrenaline caused alteration in liver and kidney function biomarkers without affecting the histological structure of the liver and the kidney. SAMWA methanolic extract pretreatment significantly decreased serum urea, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP). SAMWA ameliorated serum albumin reduction and total protein induced by adrenaline injection. SAMWA methanolic extract could protect liver and kidney of rats exposed to adrenaline