Protective Effect of Infliximab Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Abstract

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), a solvent frequently used in industry, can cause acute liver failure and liver fibrosis. Infliximab (Ib), a potent tumor necrosis factor alpha blocker, has a protective effect on the liver. Therefore, we investigated the protective effect of Ib against CCl4-induced acute liver injury. In this study, 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (n = 8), the CCl4 group (n = 8), and the CCl4 + Ib group (n = 8). A single dose of 2 mL/kg CCL4 was administered to the CCL4 group. The CCl4 + Ib group was injected with a single dose (7 mg/kg) of Ib 24 h before CCl4 was administered. In the CCl4 group, the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the liver tissue levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and adenosine deaminase (ADA) were significantly higher than the levels of these same substances in the control and CCl4 + Ib groups. The histopathological investigation revealed that although there was excessive liver injury in the CCl4 group, there was reduced injury in the CCl4 + Ib group. In addition, the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS-I) and carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) levels in the CCl4 group were significantly lower than those in the control and CCl4 + Ib groups. The results show that during CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity, Ib prevents liver injury by suppressing TGF-β1 and IL-1β levels, decreasing ADA levels, and regulating CPS-I and CA-II enzyme levels.