The Effect of Nicotine and its Interaction with Ethanol on Biochemical Parameters, Oxidative Damage and Histological Changes in the Rat’s Liver

Abstract

In the present study we have evaluated the effect of chronic nicotine exposure and ethanol supplementation on biochemical parameters and oxidative stress in serum and liver of rats, respectively. We also performed histological analysis in liver. The nicotine-treated rats showed a weak effect on the activities of markers of liver function and a significant increase in the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The combined exposure significantly increased the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Moreover, the results showed that nicotine significantly increased lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and enhanced catalase (CAT) activity in liver. The combination of nicotine plus ethanol revealed the same effect in the level of lipid peroxidation and SOD activity, whereas the level of CAT activity was significantly raised. Histological studies showed morphological alterations in liver rat in both treated groups compared to control rats. Also, comparing the results of the nicotine-group to nicotine ethanol-group, we concluded that nicotine had prejudicial effects of less intensity than the association of nicotine and ethanol. These finding suggest that chronic nicotine administration provoked harmful effects to the liver; this hepatotoxicity can be enhanced by supplementation of ethanol and this association certainly increase the risk to develop liver diseases. Finally, the liver toxicity induced by nicotine alone or supplemented with ethanol was revealed by increasing both lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the liver, disturbance of indicators of liver function, enhance in the level of LDH and change of histological parameters.