Protective effects of genistein alleviate alcohol-induced liver injury in rats

Abstract

Background: Alcohol is a major contributor of chronic liver disease worldwide. Medical treatment for alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is limited. Due to the roles of oxidative stress in the development of ALD, genistein, a natural antioxidant, might be beneficial in alleviating alcohol-induced liver injury. Materials and Methods: Eighteen male Sprague–Dawley® rats were divided into three groups (n = 6 each). Control group received distilled water, while alcohol group received 50% alcohol (8 g/kg body weight [BW] per day), and genistein group received genistein (16 mg/kg BW per day) dissolved in 50% alcohol (8 g/kg BW per day) for 4 weeks. At the end of the study, liver tissue was obtained for histopathology and immunohistochemistry for interleukin-18 (IL-18), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) measurement. Serum samples were analyzed for alanine transaminase (ALT) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Results: Alcohol-fed rats gained significantly less weight than control and genistein ones (48.83 ± 14.59, 142.83 ± 10.06 vs. 69.17 ± 7.33 g, respectively, P Abbreviations used: ALD: Alcoholic liver disease; NAFLD: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; ALT: Alanine transaminase; TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; IL-18: Interleukin-18; LPS: Lipopolysaccharide; MDA: Malondialdehyde; GSH: Glutathione; TBARS: Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide; DAB: Diaminobenzidine.