Protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on liver damage by a single dose of CCl(4) in male rats.
Functional and morphological alterations were generated by p.o. (per os) administration of a single oral dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4); 0.125 mL/kg b.w., equivalent to 293 mg/kg) to adult male Wistar rats. CCl(4) significantly increased (p < 0.05) the serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 7478 ± 1044%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST; 6964 ± 833%), compared to control rats; CCl(4) also significantly decreased serum concentration of albumin (23 ± 5.5%) and increased the concentration of malondialhdeyde (MDA) in liver (300 ± 33%). Furthermore, CCl(4) down-regulated the mRNA steady-state level of tumor necrosis factor a(TNF-a). CCl(4) produced necrosis in the central lobe area, extended to the periphery, nuclear alterations (pycnosis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis), and cytoplasmic acidophilia. The pretreatment with 4 mg/kg (p.o.) of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE), for 5 days, prevented most of the damage caused by CCl(4): significantly decreased the serum activities of ALT and AST (54 and 65%, respectively), compared to CCl(4)-treated rats; GbE partially prevented the increase of liver MDA (55 ± 14%) and the decrease of albumin concentration to 12 ± 0.2%. This pretreatment prevented the down-regulation of TNF-a and up-regulated the interleukine 6 (IL-6) mRNA steady-state level. Moreover, the GbE reduced the amount of necrotic areas in the central lobe area, compared to CCl(4)-treated rats.
Chávez-Morales
R M
RM
Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Aguascalientes, México.
Jaramillo-Juárez
F
F
Posadas del Río
F A
FA
Reyes-Romero
M A
MA
Rodríguez-Vázquez
M L
ML
Martínez-Saldaña
M C
MC
D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D000637:Transaminases