Abstract
Purpose: To compare the effects of laser and/or L-carnitine (LC) on amiodarone (AM)-induced lung toxicity in adult male rats. Methods: Lung toxicity was induced in 50 healthy male albino rats (150-180 g) by AM for 8 weeks. The rats were divided into 4 groups (7 per group): AM recovery, LC, laser, and laser + LC. After a 4-week exposure to laser and/or LC, key antioxidant enzymes, nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin II, cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II) and lipoxygenase (LOX) as well as oxidative stress and inflammation parameters were determined. Results: Administration of LC and/or laser exposure led to significant increases in reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and angiotensin II; and significant decreases in nitric oxide (NO) level and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in the AM-treated rats when compared with the AM recovery group ( p ˂ 0.05). The LC and/or laser exposure also significantly inhibited COX II and LOX activities in the lungs, and brought about significant reduction in levels of TNF-α and lipid peroxidation (LPO), and significant increases in cytochrome levels ( p ˂ 0.05). Conclusion: These results indicate that AM induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. However, AM withdrawal and treatment by LC and/or exposure to laser exerted mitigating effects against the AMinduced fibrosis. Keywords: Amiodarone, Lung toxicity, Laser; L-carnitine
Highlights
The lung is the primary organ of respiration in humans and many lower animals
The present study focused on the potential therapeutic effects of L-carnitine and laser, either singly or synergistically, on lung toxicity induced by AM
Treatment of the rats with AM induced oxidative stress as demonstrated by significant decreases in GSH, superoxide dismutase (SOD), CAT and Angiotensin II, which were accompanied by significant elevations in nitric oxide (NO) and GST contents when compared with control group (p< 0.05; Table 1)
Summary
The lung is the primary organ of respiration in humans and many lower animals. Lung tissue may be affected by many diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer and lung fibrosis, due to exposure to harmful substances. L-carnitine consists of amino acids naturally produced in humans and lower animals. It plays a role as a carrier for translocation of long-chain fatty acids from the cytosol into the mitochondria for β-oxidation [6]. The present study focused on the potential therapeutic effects of L-carnitine and laser, either singly or synergistically, on lung toxicity induced by AM. They were obtained from Medical and Bilharzia Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt. Values of p< 0 05 were taken as statistically significant [13]
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