Attenuation of tamoxifen-induced hepatotoxicity by taurine in mice.
BACKGROUND
One of the most attractive approaches to disease prevention involves the use of natural antioxidants to protect tissue against toxic injury. We investigated the modulatory effects of exogenously administered taurine on the toxicity of the anticancer drug tamoxifen with special reference to protection against disruption of drug metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in Swiss albino mice.


METHODS
Male Swiss albino mice were divided into 4 groups. The extent of lipid peroxidation was evaluated in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances formed. The following assays were performed in the hepatic tissue (a) antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, (b) cytochrome P450 content, (c) glutathione-metabolizing enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and (d) low molecular weight antioxidants (reduced glutathione, ascorbic acid) and protein carbonyl content.


RESULTS
Tamoxifen induced lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and inhibited the enzymes of antioxidant defense system. It was also observed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione-metabolizing enzymes were considerably stabilized in mice pretreated with taurine.


CONCLUSIONS
Taurine protects the integrity of the hepatic tissue by stabilizing the reactive oxygen species mediated lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl formation. Additionally taurine may prove to be efficacious as an antioxidant in tamoxifen-induced hepatotoxicity.
Tabassum
Heena
H
Immunotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi 110 062, India.
Rehman
Hasibur
H
Banerjee
Basu Dev
BD
Raisuddin
Sheikh
S
Parvez
Suhel
S
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000633:toxicity*; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D013629:Tamoxifen; D013654:Taurine; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System