title: Pretreatment with magnesium ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, is involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis. LPS administration induces systemic inflammation that mimics many of the initial clinical features of sepsis and has deleterious effects on several organs including the liver and eventually leading to septic shock and death. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of magnesium (Mg), a well known cofactor in many enzymatic reactions and a critical component of the antioxidant system, on hepatic damage associated with LPS-induced endotoxima in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mg (20 and 40mg/kg, po) was administered for 7 consecutive days. Systemic inflammation was induced 1h after the last dose of Mg by a single dose of LPS (2mg/kg, ip) and 3h thereafter plasma was separated, animals were sacrificed and their livers were isolated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LPS-treated mice suffered from hepatic dysfunction revealed by histological observation, elevation in plasma transaminases activities, C-reactive protein content and caspase-3, a critical marker of apoptosis. Liver inflammation was evident by elevation in liver cytokines contents (TNF-α and IL-10) and MPO activity. Additionally, oxidative stress was manifested by increased liver lipoperoxidation, glutathione depletion, elevated total nitrate/nitrite (NOx) content and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Pretreatment with Mg largely mitigated these alternations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment with Mg protects the liver from the acute injury which occurs shortly after septicemia.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: dalia.eltanbouly@pharma.cu.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Dalia M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: El-Tanbouly
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rania M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Abdelsalam
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amina S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Abdel-Aziz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008274:Magnesium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D020011:Protective Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D009195:Peroxidase; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D008274:Magnesium
keywords: Inflammation; LPS; Liver damage; Magnesium; Septicemia