The Possible Hepatoprotecive Effects of ''Krill Oil and Silymarin against Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4)-Induced Rats Model of Liver Fibrosis: In Vivo Study''

Abstract

Liver fibrosis is considered now as one of the most spread disease worldwide. It is attributed to different underlying causative agents such as viral infections, ethanol-induced liver steatosis, and non-ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis, autoimmune and inherited disorders. Hepatic fibrosis was known to behave as tissue repair mechanism in which the initiation occurred through complicated series of interrelated and regulated signaling. These signals involved interactions between different types of cells. Among these cells are hepatocytes, non-parenchymal cells such as hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, biliary epithelial cells, liver associated lymphocytes, and the non-resident infiltrating immune cells. current work was aimed to investigate the possible potential hepatopretective effects of krill oil alone and in combination with silymarin against Carbone tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis/injury in white albino rats. Moreover, fifty white albino rats of both genders were utilized in this study. During such study liver fibrosis/damage was induced by intraperitoneal (I.P) injection of Carbone tetrachloride (CCl4) 50% in olive oil 1ml/kg twice weekly for 6 consecutive weeks in the induction group. Krill oil alone and in combination with silymarin was administered orally concurrently with I.P CCl4 for 6 consecutive weeks in the treatment groups. At the end of treatment period all animals were killed ,serum and tissue samples were collected for subsequent analyses. Serum levels of aminotransferases (ALT,AST), albumin , total serum bilirubin (T.S.B), and total anti-oxidant capacity were measured spectrophotometrically. In addition tissue level (content) of liver hudroxyproline content (Hyp) was determined by ELISA and relative liver weight percentage (R.L.W%) was also estimated.Results were significantly revealed that krill oil potentiate the hepatoprotective effects of silymarin against Carbone tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis/injury.