title: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of N-acetylcysteine against malathion-induced liver damages and immunotoxicity in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Occupational exposure to organophosphate pesticides is becoming a common and increasingly alarming world-wide phenomenon. The present study is designed to investigate the preventive effect of N-acetylcysteine on malathion-induced hepatic injury and inflammation in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Wistar rats of body weight 200-230 g were used for the study. Malathion (200mg/kg b.w./day) was administered to rats by oral intubation and N-acetylcysteine (2g/l) in drinking water for 28 days. Rats were sacrificed on the 28th day, 2h after the last administration. Markers of liver injury (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate desyhdogenase), inflammation (leukocyte counts, myeloperoxidase, immunophenotyping of CD4(+) and CD8(+), interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interferon-γ expression) and oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione and antioxidant status) were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Malathion induced an increase in activities of hepatocellular enzymes in plasma, lipid peroxidation index, CD3(+)/CD4(+) and CD3(+)/CD4(+) percent and pro-inflammatory cytokines, when decreased antioxidant status in liver was noted. When malathion-treated rats were compared to NAC supplemented rats, leukocytosis, T cell count and IL-1β, IL-6, INF-γ expression were reduced. Furthermore, NAC restored liver enzyme activities and oxidative stress markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malathion induces hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress and liver inflammation. N-acetylcysteine showed therapeutic effects against malathion toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aggression Physiology and Endocrine Metabolic Studies, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: lasram_montassar@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Mohamed Montassar
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lasram
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aggression Physiology and Endocrine Metabolic Studies, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Aicha Jrad
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lamine
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aggression Physiology and Endocrine Metabolic Studies, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis, Tunisia; Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ines Bini
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Dhouib
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Kahena
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bouzid
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aggression Physiology and Endocrine Metabolic Studies, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Alya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Annabi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Belhadjhmida
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Malika Ben
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aggression Physiology and Endocrine Metabolic Studies, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: salouaelfazaa@tunet.tn.
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Fazaa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Jaouida
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdelmoula
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aggression Physiology and Endocrine Metabolic Studies, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: najoua.gharbi@planet.tn.
authors.forename: Najoua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gharbi
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008294:Malathion / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D007306:Insecticides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009195:Peroxidase; D008294:Malathion; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: Hepatosteatosis; Inflammation; Liver injury; Malathion; N-acetylcysteine