Antioxidant capacity of N-acetylcysteine against the molecular and cytotoxic implications of cadmium chloride leading to hepatotoxicity and vital progression

Protective effects of oral pharmaceutical solution of fucoxanthin against paracetamol-induced liver injury: modulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes, oxidative stress, and apoptotic pathways in rats

BACKGROUND

Paracetamol (PAC) overdose causes acute liver injury through oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. While N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the standard treatment, fucoxanthin (FUC), a carotenoid from brown seaweed, has shown hepatoprotective effects in animal studies, but its role in PAC toxicity is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

Compared to NAC, this study assessed the hepatoprotective potential of oral FUC solution toward PAC-induced injury to the rat's liver.

METHOD

FUC was formulated as a pharmaceutical solution and characterized via UV-VIS spectroscopy. Six groups of male Wistar rats each contain five animal which are in total 30 rats: negative control (NC), positive control (PC, 2 g/kg PAC), NAC (1200 mg/kg), and three oral FUC doses (100, 200, and 500 mg/kg) for seven days, with PAC administered on day-8. Liver tissues were analyzed for oxidative stress, gene expression, and histology.

RESULTS

FUC solution was clear with absorbance at 433 nm. PAC caused 30% mortality (p < .01 vs. others). NAC reduced ALT (56%), AST (78%), ALP (28%), and increased TP by 25% (p < .001 vs. PC). FUC at 500 mg/kg (F500) was superior, reducing ALT (82%), AST (93%), ALP (40%), and increasing TP (35%) (p < .001 vs. NAC). PAC increased oxidative stress, CYP2E1/CYP3A2 expression, apoptosis markers, and suppressed Nrf2/AMPK/AKT1. F500 improved antioxidants, reduced oxidative stress, and apoptosis, enhanced the Nrf2/AMPK pathway, and downregulated CYP2E1/CYP3A2 (p < .01).

CONCLUSION

FUC, particularly at 500 mg/kg, offers significant hepatoprotection against PAC-induced liver injury by modulating drug metabolizing enzymes and enhancing antioxidant defenses, warranting further research.

Integrated transcriptome and metabolomic analyses uncover the mechanism of cadmium-caused mouse spermatogonia apoptosis via inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress

Cadmium (Cd) is a well-recognized male reproductive toxicant that can cause testicular germ cell apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanism needs investigation. CG-1 mouse spermatogonia (spg) cells were treated with 20 μM cadmium chloride (CdCl2) for 24 h. Cell apoptosis was measured, and the expressions of key genes and protein biomarkers involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were detected, respectively. Untargeted metabolomics was performed to identify different metabolites, and transcriptome analysis was conducted to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Our results indicated that CdCl2 exposure caused cell apoptosis, and DEGs were involved in several apoptosis-related pathways. Moreover, CdCl2 exposure apparently increased the mRNA and protein expressions levels of both GRP78 and ATF6α, disrupting the expression of various metabolites, particularly amino acids. Conclusively, our study reveals the pathway of CdCl2 toxicity on mouse spg, providing a deep understanding of CdCl2-induced testicular toxicity.