N-acetylcysteine attenuates oxidative stress and liver pathology in rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate attenuating properties of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on oxidative stress and liver pathology in rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).


METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (control, n=8) was free accessed to regular dry rat chow (RC) for 6 wk. Group 2 (NASH, n=8) was fed with 100% fat diet for 6 wk. Group 3 (NASH+NAC(20), n=9) was fed with 100% fat diet plus 20 mg/kg per day of NAC orally for 6 wk. All rats were sacrificed to collect blood and liver samples at the end of the study.


RESULTS
The levels of total glutathione (GSH) and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) were increased significantly in the NASH group as compared with the control group (GSH; 2066.7+/-93.2 vs 1337.5+/-31.5 micromol/L and MDA; 209.9+/-43.9 vs 3.8+/-1.7 micromol/g protein, respectively, P<0.05). Liver histopathology from group 2 showed moderate to severe macrovesicular steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and necroinflammation. NAC treatment improved the level of GSH (1394.8+/-81.2 micromol/L, P<0.05), it did not affect MDA (150.1+/-27.0 micromol/g protein), but led to a decrease in fat deposition and necroinflammation.


CONCLUSIONS
NAC treatment could attenuate oxidative stress and improve liver histology in rats with NASH.
Thong-Ngam
Duangporn
D
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. thongngam007@yahoo.com
Samuhasaneeto
Suchittra
S
Kulaputana
Onanong
O
Klaikeaw
Naruemon
N
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione; D000111:Acetylcysteine