Hatice SEVİM, Alaattin SEN, H. Hizlan AGUS, Merve BAYAV, Asli SEMİZ, Barbaros SAHİN

Prevention of carbon tetrachloride- induced Hepatotoxicity by Urtica urens in rats

In this study, the effects of Urtica urens L. (dwarf nettle, UU) seed extract on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in both control and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated rats were investigated. Male Wistar rats were randomly allotted into one of the four experimental groups. A (Control), B (UU-treated), C (CCl4-only treated) and D (UU+CCl4-treated), each having 5-24 animals. Some of rats in group A were treated with physiological saline, i.p. daily for 4 days; Group B were treated with UU 200 mg/kg, i.p. daily for 4 consecutive days; Group C were administered with CCl4 at dose of 10 ml/kg, i.p. for 2 consecutive days; and group D rats were pretreated with UU 200 mg/kg, i.p. daily for 4 consecutive days prior to administration of CCl4 10 ml/kg, i.p. daily for 2 consecutive days. At the end of the experimental period, rats were sacrificed, and tissues were taken. Results have indicated that treatment of rats with U. urens increased hepatic antioxidant enzymes without changing the levels of serum Lactate DeHydrogenase (LDH), ALanine aminoTransferase (ALT) and ASpartate aminoTransferase (AST). Moreover, U. urens treatment decreased the CCl4 dependent elevated lipid peroxidation and serum LDH, ALT and AST activities. Furthermore, U. urens protected the inhibitory effect of CCl4 on CYP2E1 catalyzed aniline 4-hydroxylase activities. As a result, as indicated by these in vivo data, U. urens seed extract contains constituents protecting liver against hepatotoxic effects of CCl4.

PDF

___

[1]. Kanter M, Coskun O, Budancamanak M. 2005. Hepatoprotective effects of Nigella sativa L and Urtica dioica L on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme systems and liver enzymes in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 11(42): 6684–6688.
[2]. Parola M, Leonarduzzi G, Biasi F, Albano M, Biocca E, Poli G, Dianzani U. 1992. Vitamin E dietary supplementation protects against CCl4-induced chronic liver damage and cirrhosis. Hepatology. 16: 1014–1021.
[3]. Davis PH (ed.). 1982. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Edinburg University Press, Vol. 7, pp.633–635.
[4]. Sen A, Kirikbakan A. 2004. Biochemical characterization and distribution of glutathione S-transferases in leaping mullet (Liza saliens). Biochemistry (Moscow). 69: 993–1000.
[5]. Lowry OH, Rosenburg NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ. 1951. Protein measurements with Folin-phenol reagent. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 193: 265–275.
[6]. Gutteridge JM, Halliwell B. 1989. Iron toxicity and oxygen radicals. Bailliere’s Clinical Haematology. 2(2):195-256.
[7]. Reitman S, Frankel S. 1957. A colorimetric method for the determination of sGOT and sGPT. American Journal of Clinical Pathology. 28: 56–63.
[8]. Wroblewski F, LaDue JS. 1955. Lactic dehydrogenase activity in blood. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 90: 210.
[9]. Abei, H. 1974. Catalase. In: Method of Enzymatic Analysis. pp. 673–684. Academic Press, New York.
[10]. Imai Y, Ito A, Sato R. 1966. Evidence for biochemical different types of vesicles in the hepatic microsomal fraction. Journal of Biochemistry. 60: 417–428.
[11]. Arinc E, Sen A. 1992. Characterization of cytochrome P450-dependent mixed-function oxidase system of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata; Sparidae) liver. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 104B: 133–139.
[12]. Habig WH, Pabst MJ, Jakoby WB. 1974. Glutathione Stransferases. The first enzymatic step in mercapturic acid formation. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 249: 7130–7139.
[13]. Tsukamoto H, Matsuoka M, French SW. 1990. Experimental models of hepatic fibrosis: a review. Seminar in Liver Disease. 10: 56–65.
[14]. Terblanche J, Hickman R. 1991. Animal models of fulminant hepatic failure. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 36: 770–774.
[15]. Kanter M, Meral I, Dede S, Cemek M, Ozbek H, Uygan I, Gunduz H. 2003. Effects of Nigella sativa L. and Urtica dioica L. on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme systems and some liver enzymes in CCl4-treated rats. Journal of Veterinary Medicine. 50: 264–268.
[16]. Kim KS, Lee S, Lee YS, Jung SH, Park Y, Shin KH, Kim BK. 2003. Anti-oxidant activities of the extracts from the herbs of Artemisia apiacea. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.85: 69–72.
[17]. Hsiao G, Shen MY, Lin KH, Lan MH, Wu LY, Chou DS, Lin CH, Su CH, Sheu JR. 2003. Antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects of Antrodia camphorata extract. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51: 3302–3308.
[18]. Koop DR. 1992. Oxidative and reductive metabolism by cytochrome P4502E. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal. 6: 724–730.
[19]. Guengerich FP, Kim DH, Iwasaki M. 1991. Role of human cytochrome P4502E1 in the oxidation of many low molecular weight cancer suspects. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 4: 168–179.