The protective effect of 3-indolepropanoic acid on aflatoxin B1-induced systemic perturbation of the liver and kidney function in rats

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is known to derange the hepatorenal system by redox, DNA adduct formation and apoptotic networks. Endogenous 3-indole propionic acid (3-IPA) is a metabolite of tryptophan metabolism by gut microbiota that can protect against redox imbalance, inflammation and cellular lipid damage. We investigated the beneficial effect of 3-IPA against AFB1-mediated organ toxicity in male rats post 28 days of consecutive treatment. The 3-IPA (25 and 50 mg/kg) was orally administered alongside AFB1 (50 μg/kg) treatment. Biochemical and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were utilised to examine biomarkers of hepatorenal function, oxidative status and inflammation. DNA damage and apoptosis were also assessed, and histological staining techniques were used to investigate hepatorenal tissues for pathological indicators. The 3-IPA supplementation abated AFB1-mediated increases in biomarkers of hepatic and renal dysfunction in rat serum. Co-administration of 3-IPA further reduced AFB1-induced redox imbalance (by upregulating antioxidant mediators and enzymes [GSH, TSH, Trx, Trx-R, SOD, CAT, GPx and GST]; reducing reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation and DNA adduct [RONS, LPO and 8-OH-dG] formation; suppressing pro-inflammatory and apoptotic mediators [XO, MPO, NO, IL-1β and Casp -9 and -3]; and upregulating the level of interleukin 10 (IL-10). Moreover, treatment with 3-IPA lessened hepatorenal tissue injuries. These findings suggest that augmenting 3-IPA endogenously from tryptophan metabolism may provide a novel strategy to forestall xenobiotics-mediated hepatorenal toxicity, including AFB1.

Combine effect of exposure to petrol, kerosene and diesel fumes: On hepatic oxidative stress and haematological function in rats

Petroleum product fumes (PPFs) containing toxic organic components are pervasive in the environment, emanating from anthropogenic activities, including petroleum exploration and utilization by end-user activities from petrol-gasoline stations. Petrol station attendants are exposed to PPF through inhalation and dermal contact with consequent toxicological implications. We investigated the effects of chronic exposure (60 and 90 days) to petrol (P), kerosene (K) and diesel (D) alone and combined exposure to petrol, kerosene and diesel (PKD) fumes on hepatotoxicity, haematological function and oxidative stress in rats. Following sacrifice, we evaluated hepatic damage biomarkers, blood glucose, oxidative stress and haematological function. Chronic exposure to PPF significantly increased organo-somatic indices, blood glucose, biomarkers of hepatic toxicity and oxidative stress in an exposure duration-dependent manner. There was a simultaneous decrease in the protective capacity of antioxidants. Furthermore, exposure to PPF increased pro-inflammatory biomarkers in rats (90 > 60 days). Regardless of exposure duration, plateletcrit, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and red cell distribution width in the coefficient of variation increased, whereas red blood cell count, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell, lymphocyte, monocyte-basophil-eosinophil mixed counts and platelet count decreased after 60 and 90 days exposure. Microscopic examination of the liver demonstrated hepatic pathological changes paralleling the duration of exposure to PKD fumes. However, the injury observed was lesser to that of rats treated with the diethylnitrosamine - positive control. Our results expanded previous findings and further demonstrated the probable adverse effect on populations' health occasioned by persistent exposure to PPF. Individuals chronically exposed by occupation to PPF may be at greater risk of developing disorders promoted by continuous oxido-inflammatory perturbation and suboptimal haematological-immunologic function - thereby enabling a permissive environment for pathogenesis notwithstanding the limitation of quantifying PPF absolute values in our model system.

Luteolin attenuates doxorubicin-induced derangements of liver and kidney by reducing oxidative and inflammatory stress to suppress apoptosis

Doxorubicin is an effective anti-neoplastic agent; the reported toxicities of DOX limit its use. Luteolin is a polyphenolic phytochemical that exhibits beneficial biological effects via several mechanisms. We investigate luteolin protective effects on hepatorenal toxicity associated with doxorubicin treatment in rats. For 2 weeks, randomly assigned rat cohorts were treated as follows: control, luteolin (100 mg/kg; per os), doxorubicin alone (2mg/kg; by intraperitoneal injection), co-treated cohorts received luteolin (50 and 100 mg/kg) in addition to doxorubicin. Treatment with doxorubicin alone significantly (p < 0.05) increased biomarkers of hepatorenal toxicities in the serum. Doxorubicin also reduced relative organ weights, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukine-10. Doxorubicin also increased reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, lipid peroxidation, pro-inflammatory-interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α-cytokine, and apoptotic caspases-3 and -9). Morphological damage accompanied these biochemical alterations in the rat's liver and kidney treated with doxorubicin alone. Luteolin co-treatment dose-dependently abated doxorubicin-mediated toxic responses, improved antioxidant capacity and interleukine-10 level. Luteolin reduced (p < 0.05) lipid peroxidation, caspases-3 and -9 activities and marginally improved rats' survivability. Similarly, luteolin co-treated rats exhibited improvement in hepatorenal pathological lesions observed in rats treated with doxorubicin alone. In summary, luteolin co-treatment blocked doxorubicin-mediated hepatorenal injuries linked with pro-oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic mechanisms. Therefore, luteolin can act as a chemoprotective agent in abating toxicities associated with doxorubicin usage and improve its therapeutic efficacy.

Chlorogenic acid abates oxido-inflammatory and apoptotic responses in the liver and kidney of Tamoxifen-treated rats

Plant-derived phenolics are utilized as chemopreventive agents to abate adverse toxic responses associated with drug-induced damages. Tamoxifen (TAM)-a chemotherapeutic agent-is used in managing all stages of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Notwithstanding TAM's clinical side effect-including hepatic toxicity-its use is commonplace. The present study investigates the effect of Chlorogenic acid (CGA: 25 and 50 mg kg-1; per os (p.o)) reported to exhibit various beneficial properties, including antioxidative effect against TAM (50 mg/kg; p.o.)-induced hepatorenal toxicities in rats treated as follows: Control, CGA, or TAM alone, and rats co-treated with CGA and TAM for 2 weeks. Biomarkers of hepatorenal function, oxido-inflammatory stress, and hepatorenal histopathology were performed. We observed that TAM alone decreased relative organ weights (ROW), marginally impacted rat's survivability, and significantly (P < 0.05) increased hepatorenal toxicities and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). TAM decreased (P < 0.05) antioxidant, anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), besides increase in (P < 0.05) lipid peroxidation (LPO), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), xanthine oxidase (XO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and apoptotic caspases (Casp-3 and -9) levels. These biochemical alterations were accompanied by morphological lesions in experimental rats' liver and kidney. Conversely, that CGA dose-dependently relieved TAM-mediated toxic responses, restored antioxidants capacities, reduced oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, and Casp-3 and -9 activities in experimental rats. Furthermore, CGA protected against lesions observed in the liver and kidney of rats treated with TAM alone. Overall, CGA blocked TAM-mediated hepatorenal injuries associated with pro-oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic mechanisms. CGA may serve as a chemoprotective agent boosting patients prognosis undergoing TAM chemotherapy.

Protocatechuic acid protects against hepatorenal toxicities in rats exposed to Furan

Furan formed in processed food is hepatotoxic and likely carcinogenic in humans. We investigated protocatechuic acid (PCA) protective role in rats' hepatorenal function treated with furan. Rats were grouped and treated as follows: Control, PCA (50 mg/kg), furan alone (8 mg/kg), furan + PCA1 (25 + 8 mg/kg), and furan + PCA2 (50 + 8 mg/kg). Upon sacrifice, evaluation of hepatorenal function, oxidative stress status, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), lipid peroxidation (LPO), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, among nitric oxide (NO) levels were performed. Cytokine levels (IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-alpha), Caspase 3 and 9 activities, and histopathological examination were also assessed. We found that the final body and relative liver weights changed significantly (p < 0.05) in treated groups. Hepatic transaminases, urea, and creatinine increased (p < 0.05) in furan only treated group, and reduced in PCA co-treated groups. The furan-induced decrease in antioxidant status increased RONS, and LPO levels were alleviated (p < 0.05) by PCA co-treatment. Furthermore, furan-mediated increase in NO, IL-1ß, TNF-alpha levels, MPO, Cas-3, and 9 activities and suppressed IL-10 levels was reversed accordingly in rats' kidney and liver co-treated with PCA. The extent of furan-mediated hepatorenal lesions was lessened in PCA co-treated rats. Our findings suggest that PCA protects against oxido-inflammatory pathways, enhanced caspases 3 and 9 activations induced by furan in rat hepatorenal system.

Co-administration of Luteolin mitigated toxicity in rats' lungs associated with doxorubicin treatment

Doxorubicin (DOX), is a drug against lung malignancies with undesirable side effect including oxidative, inflammatory and apoptotic effects. Luteolin (LUT), present in fruits and vegetables is pharmacologically active against oxido-inflammatory and apoptotic responses. The present study examined the effect of LUT on DOX-induced lungs and blood dysfunction in Wistars rat (sex: male; 10 weeks old, 160 ± 5 g). Randomly grouped (n = 10) rats were treated as follows: control, LUT alone (100 mg/kg; per os), DOX (2 mg/kg; i. p), and co-treated rats with LUT (50 or 100 mg/kg) and DOX for two consecutive weeks. DOX alone adversely altered the final body and relative organ weights, red and white blood cell and platelet counts. DOX significantly (p > 0.05) reduced lungs antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory cytokines; increased biomarkers of oxidative stress, caspase-3 activity, and pro-inflammatory cytokine. Morphological damages accompanied these biochemical alterations in the lung of experimental rats. Co-treatment with LUT, dose-dependently reversed DOX-mediated changes in rats' survival, toxic responses, and diminished oxidative stress in rat's lungs. Furthermore, co-treatment with LUT resulted in the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptotic biomarkers, increased red and white blood cell, platelet counts and abated pathological injuries in rat lungs treated with DOX alone. In essence, our findings indicate that LUT dose-dependently mitigated DOX-induced toxicities in the lungs and haematopoietic systems. Supplementation of patients on DOX-chemotherapy with phytochemicals exhibiting antioxidant activities, specifically LUT, could circumvent the onset of unintended toxic responses in the lungs and haematopoietic system exposed to DOX.