title: Antiseptic effect of sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) against multi-organ failure induced by sepsis: Molecular and histopathological study.
abstract: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to infection and severe sepsis patients can develop acute lung and liver injury. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy ofHolothuria atramethanolic body wall extract (HaE), as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent against induced sepsis in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) rat model. In total, 30 males albino rats were divided into three groups (n=10 each) as follows: Sham (Sh), which was used as negative control; sepsis (Se), which was used as a positive control and was subjected to CLP surgery; and Ho, which was subjected to CLP and fed with 200 mg/kg (body weight) of HaE, once daily for 7 days. Subsequently, the expression of various genes was detected by polymerase chain reaction, while liver and lung tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry. The expression ofCaspase-3was significantly reduced in liver and lung tissues in the Ho group, while the expression levels ofGsta2,CatandSod1genes were slightly reduced in the Ho group, when compared with the Se group. In addition, expression levels of tumor necrosis factor, interferon-γ, liver interleukin (IL)1b and lung IL1a were reduced in the Ho group compared with the Se group. Furthermore, histopathological changes were observed in liver tissues of the Se group, including congestion of hepatoportal blood vessel and focal hepatic necrosis, while lung tissues showed marked edema, hemorrhage and alveolar septal thickening. The Ho group showed apparent normal hepatic parenchyma and slight interstitial pneumonia. Immunohistochemical staining of caspase-3 in liver and lung tissues showed no expression in the Sh group, strong expression in the Se group and moderate expression in the Ho group. In conclusion, HaE demonstrated beneficial effect against induced sepsis, which may be attributed to its antioxidant and antiapoptotic activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt; Department of Medical Laboratory, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 11942, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Dalia Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt; Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 11942, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Baiomy
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 11942, Saudi Arabia; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11241, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mansour
keywords: cecal ligation and puncture; gene expression; histopathology; immunohistochemistry; rats; sea cucumber; sepsis