title: Hyaluronic acid and chondroitin-4-sulphate treatment reduces damage in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute rat liver injury.
abstract: Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of chemically mediated liver injury. Since glycosaminoglycans possess antioxidant activity, the aim of this work was to assess the protective effects of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin-4-sulphate treatment in a model of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury. Liver damage was induced in male rats by an intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (1 ml/kg in vegetal oil). Serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, hepatic malondialdehyde, plasma TNF-alpha, hepatic reduced glutathione and catalase, and myeloperoxidase, an index of polymorphonuclear infiltration in the jeopardised hepatic tissue, were evaluated 24 h after carbon tetrachloride administration. Carbon tetrachloride produced a marked increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, primed lipid peroxidation, enhanced plasma TNF-alpha levels, induced a severe depletion of reduced glutathione and catalase, and promoted neutrophil accumulation. Intraperitoneal treatment of rats with hyaluronic acid (25 mg/kg) or chondroitin-4-sulphate (25 mg/kg) failed to exert any effect in the considered parameter, while the combination treatment with both glycosaminoglycans (12,5 + 12,5 mg/kg) decreased the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, inhibited lipid peroxidation by reducing hepatic malondialdehyde, reduced plasma TNF-alpha, restored the endogenous antioxidants, and finally decreased myeloperoxidase activity. These results suggest that hyaluronic acid and chondroitin-4-sulphate possess a different antioxidant mechanism and consequently the combined administration of both glycosaminoglycans exerts a synergistic effect with respect to the single treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical, Physiological and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Messina, Policlinico Universitario, Torre Biologica, 5 piano, Via C. Valeria, 98100 - Messina, Italy. gcampo@unime.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avenoso
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Alida M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micali
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zanghí
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calatroni
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione