title: Pleurotus ostreatus, an oyster mushroom, decreases the oxidative stress induced by carbon tetrachloride in rat kidneys, heart and brain.
abstract: The present work is aimed at evaluating the protective effect of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. Significantly elevated mean levels (p<0.05) of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lowered mean levels (p<0.01) of reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamins C and E (p<0.05) were observed in kidneys, heart and brain of rats exposed to CCl4, when compared to values in normal rats. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) revealed lower activities of these antioxidant enzymes in the kidneys, heart and brain of rats exposed to CCl4. When the extract of P. ostreatus was used to treat rats with CCl4-induced toxicity, it lowered the mean level of MDA, elevated the mean levels of GSH and of vitamins C and E and enhanced the mean activities of CAT, SOD, Gpx and GST so that the values of most of these parameters did not differ significantly from those of normal rats. Histopathological studies confirmed the toxic effects of CCl4 on other organs such as kidneys, heart and brain and also tissue protective effect of the extract of P. ostreatus. These results suggest that an extract of P. ostreatus is able to alleviate the oxidative damage caused by CCl4 in the kidneys, heart and brain of Wistar rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakthivel
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geraldine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020076:Pleurotus / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D014810:Vitamin E; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione; D001205:Ascorbic Acid