title: Effect of chitobiose and chitotriose on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatotoxicity in rats.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether chitobiose and chitotriose can protect rats from CCl4-induced hepatic toxicity when given orally. We studied the effects of the 2 chitooligosaccharides given orally to rats on the acute hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4-dependent lipid peroxidation. The increase in the sum of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals, a marker of lipid peroxidation, in both plasma and liver of CCl4-treated rats was suppressed by oral administration of chitobiose or chitotriose. The elevation in the levels of plasma aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase activities, markers of hepatic injury, induced by CCl4 intoxication was also counteracted by oral administration of either chitooligosaccharide. The results indicate that chitobiose and chitotriose have the ability to exert a protective action against CCl4-induced acute hepatoxicity, probably by their antioxidant activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University; Nagoya 468-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: An-Shu
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matahira
authors.forename: Min-Wei
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ichitomo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miwa
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004187:Disaccharides; D014312:Trisaccharides; C041161:chitotriose; C032438:chitobiose; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase