title: Effect of Nigella sativa fixed oil on ethanol toxicity in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was planned to appraise the protective effect of Nigella sativa fixed oil (NSO) against subchronic ethanol induced toxicity in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were carried out on six groups of six animals each, including control (normal saline, gavage), ethanol (3 g/kg/day, gavage), NSO (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 ml/Kg/day, IP) plus ethanol and NSO (0.5 ml/Kg/day, IP) groups. Treatments were continued for 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to data, treatment with NSO attenuated ethanol-induced increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), as well as histopathological changes in liver and kidney tissues. Moreover, NSO improved the level of serum liver enzymes (including alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and glutathione (GSH) content in liver and kidney tissues in ethanol-treated rats. Western blot analysis and quantitative real time RT-PCR showed that NSO treatment inhibited apoptosis stimulated by ethanol through decreasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (both protein and mRNA levels), cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-9 level in liver and kidney.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that NSO may have protective effects against hepatotoxicity and renal toxicity of ethanol by decreasing lipid peroxidation and inflammation and preventing apoptosis.
authors: Food Control Laboratory, Food and Drug Administration, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Hamed
authors: H
authors: Pourbakhsh
authors: Department of Phamacodynamy and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Elahe
authors: E
authors: Taghiabadi
authors: Pharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Khalil
authors: K
authors: Abnous
authors: Medical Toxicology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Alireza Timcheh
authors: AT
authors: Hariri
authors: Department of Phamacodynamy and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Sayed Masoud
authors: SM
authors: Hosseini
authors: Pharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Pharmacodynamy and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Hossein
authors: H
authors: Hosseinzadeh
keywords: Alcohol; Apoptosis; Ethanol toxicity; Lipid peroxidation; Nigella sativa; Oxidative stress