title: N-acetylcysteine attenuates oxidative stress and liver pathology in rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. thongngam007@yahoo.com
authors: Duangporn
authors: D
authors: Thong-Ngam
authors: Suchittra
authors: S
authors: Samuhasaneeto
authors: Onanong
authors: O
authors: Kulaputana
authors: Naruemon
authors: N
authors: Klaikeaw
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione; D000111:Acetylcysteine