The effect of carbon tetrachloride treatment on urine flow rate of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

Ginseng essence, a medicinal and edible herbal formulation, ameliorates carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in rats

Background

Ginseng essence (GE) is a formulation comprising four medicinal and edible herbs including ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), lotus seed (Nelumbo nucifera), and lily bulb (Lilium longiflorum). This study was aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective effect of GE against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver injury in rats.

Methods

We treated Wistar rats daily with low, medium, and high [0.625 g/kg body weight (bw), 1.25 g/kg bw, and 3.125 g/kg bw, respectively] doses of GE for 9 wk. After the 1^st wk of treatment, rats were administered 20% CCl₄ (1.5 mL/kg bw) two times a week to induce liver damage until the treatment ended.

Results

Serum biochemical analysis indicated that GE ameliorated the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and albumin decline in CCl₄-treated rats. Moreover, CCl₄-induced accumulation of hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride was inhibited. The hepatoprotective effects of GE involved enhancing the hepatic antioxidant defense system including glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. In addition, histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining showed that GE inhibited CCl₄-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of alpha-smooth muscle actin indicated that CCl₄-triggered activation of hepatic stellate cells was reduced.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that GE improves CCl₄-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis by attenuating oxidative stress. Therefore, GE could be a promising hepatoprotective herbal formulation for future development of phytotherapy.

Normal versus abnormal structure: considerations in morphologic responses of teleosts to pollutants

Consideration of newer more quantitative morphologic approaches to the study of aquatic pollutants can provide opportunity for collaborative/integrated studies with other subdisciplines in toxicology. Current commonly employed morphologic approaches result largely in subjective findings difficult to analyze statistically and often are directed at levels of structural organization inconsistent with biochemical and physiological approaches. We review some of the methods and approaches available for correlated structure/function studies and present examples from normal and altered skin, gill, and liver of teleosts.