Abstract
Liver diseases impose a substantial health problem. Female hormones play a crucial role in the protection against chronic inflammatory diseases. Fifty female rats were allocated into five groups (n = 10). Group I comprised sham-operated rats. The remaining groups underwent ovariectomy at the beginning of the experiment. Group II served as the ovariectomy-control group. Groups III, IV & V received thioacetamide (TAA; 300 mg/kg; i.p.) to induce liver injury 6 weeks after ovariectomy. Group III served as the TAA-control group. Groups IV & V received panax ginseng (100 and 300 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 6 weeks post TAA administration. All groups were investigated for liver function tests along with total antioxidant capacity (TAC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Histopathological examination of liver tissues was performed followed by immunohistochemical staining for nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kβ p65) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Ovariectomized-rats showed a non-significant change in the measured parameters while TAA administration resulted in significant liver damage. Panax ginseng at both dose levels significantly improved the serum liver function tests and TAC along with decreasing the AGEs and TNF-α. It also restored the histopathological picture of liver tissue and decreased hepatic tissue inflammation via reduction of MPO and NF-kβ p65 immunoreactivity. The current study is the first to elucidate the effect of panax ginseng against TAA-induced liver injury in ovariectomized rats which mimic aged post-menopausal estrogen-deficient females. The study demonstrates the crosstalk between AGEs, NF-kβ and MPO in the modulation of inflammation. Panax ginseng possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Highlights
MethodsAnimalsAdult female Wistar rats weighing 180–200 g were used in the current study. Standard food pellets and tap water were supplied ad libitum
Liver diseases impose a substantial global health problem as they are ordinarily associated with significant morbidity and mortality
The present study aims at inspecting whether panax ginseng exerts significant protective effects against thioacetamide-induced liver injury in ovariectomized rats highlighting its potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties
Summary
AnimalsAdult female Wistar rats weighing 180–200 g were used in the current study. Standard food pellets and tap water were supplied ad libitum. Livers were harvested from each rat and parts were homogenized (using MPW–120 homogenizer, Med instruments, Poland) to obtain 20% homogenate; the homogenate was centrifuged using a cooling centrifuge (Laborezentrifugen, 2k15, Sigma, Germany) at 3000 r.p.m for 10 min; the supernatant was taken for the tissue biochemical analyses. Serum estradiol (E2) was measured using commercially available rat ELISA kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions Serum liver function tests including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities as well as serum levels of total bilirubin & total proteins along with serum and hepatic tissue total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured using commercially available kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Biodiagnostic, Egypt). Serum & hepatic tissue concentration of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured using commercially available rat ELISA kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
