Abstract
This study was designed to examine the protective effects of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and erdosteine (ERD) on hippocampal tissue damage associated with paracetamol (acetaminophen) intoxication. Thirty female Wistar Albino rats were divided randomly into six equal groups: control; paracetamol (1 g/kg); paracetamol (1 g/kg) + ERD (150 mg/kg/day); paracetamol (1 g/kg) + NAC (140 mg/kg bolus, followed by 70 mg/kg); NAC control (140 mg/kg bolus, followed by 70 mg/kg) and ERD control (150 mg/kg/day), given orally in this study. In all the experimental groups, the protective effects of NAC and ERD were investigated by analysis of histopathology measurement on hippocampal tissues. Histopathological examination was described by neuronal degeneration, edema, and vascular congestion. Neuronal degeneration (p<0.01), edema (p<0.00) and vascular congestion (p=0.006) were increased by significant in paracetamol experiment group, when compared with EDR and NAC treatment groups. The use of ERD and NAC was significantly decreased the severity of histopathological changes, such as neuronal degeneration, edema and vascular congestion, after experimentally paracetamol-induced intoxicity in rat hippocampal tissues. Also, the results of this study have been indicated that NAC is more protective against paracetamol intoxicity than ERD in the tissues.
Highlights
Paracetamol acts in the central nervous system (CNS) and whatever the dose and the time point considered, its concentrations were very close in the various brain and spinal areas
When histopathological sections were evaluated by light microscopic examination, neuronal degeneration were found significantly (p< 0.01) higher in the paracetamol group than N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC) treatment, NAC control and ERD control groups (Figure 1A and 1B))
Vascular congestion were significantly (p=0.006) more extensive occurred in the paracetamol group than NAC control and ERD control groups
Summary
Paracetamol (acetaminophen, N-acetyl-p-amino-phenol, APAP) acts in the central nervous system (CNS) and whatever the dose and the time point considered, its concentrations were very close in the various brain and spinal areas. APAP have a central antinociceptive effect that is accompanied by an increase in brain serotonin content in cortical membranes [2,3]. N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC), which is used as a mucolytic agent, is a thiol compound and a membrane-permeable precursor of glutathione, which interacts directly with intracellular oxidants. Several studies have been comparatively showed that protective and therapeutic effects of both ERD and NAC have been caused by paracetamol experimentally induced intoxication in different tissue damages [14,15]
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