Effects of Artemisia capillaris extract on disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism in rats treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) / 한국영양학회지

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of Artemisia capillaris (AC) extract on disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an endocrine disrupter, using male rats (SD, five weeks old) for a period of three weeks. These 37 animals were divided into four groups. AC extract was added as 1.5% or 3% levels to basal diets, respectively. TCDD (40 ug/kg B.W) was administered by intraperitoneal injection into rats after a week from the beginning of the experiment. AC extract alleviated the increase of rat's relative liver weights induced by TCDD. Thymuses of all rats treated with TCDD were apparently shrunken by approximately 80%. Levels of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrits were significantly increased by treatment with TCDD, however, WBC tended to decrease by AC extract diets. In hepatic function, the elevation of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activities by TCDD treatment was diminished by AC extract diets. Serum HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly elevated by AC extract diets. The apparent increase of triglyceride levels of rat livers induced by TCDD was significantly suppressed in the AC extract diet groups. Hepatic cytosolic catalase activities significantly decreased by treatment with TCDD showed a recovering trend by AC extract diets. In histochemical observation, the fat droplets and apoptosis of hepatocytes treated with TCDD were markedly alleviated by AC extract diets. These results indicated that AC could exert recovering effects on some disorders of hepatic functions, lipids metabolism, and antioxidant activities resulting from TCDD treatment.

Preventive Effects of Chitosan on the Disorders of Hepatic Functions and Lipid Metabolism in Rats Treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

This study was conducted to fine out the preventive effects of chitosan and chitosan oligomer on the disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism induced by 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), using adult male rats (SD) for four weeks. Rats were fed chitosan (4%) or chitosan oligomer (4%) diets respectively before 3weeks of TCDD treatment (50 ug/kg BW) by intraperitoneal injection and then continually supplied these diets for one week until being sacrificed. The elevation of serum total and LDL cholesterol levels induced by TCDD treatment was significantly reduced in the rats fed chitosan diets. The increment of liver triglyceride levels caused by TCDD treatment was tended to suppress in all rats fed chitosan and chitosan oligomer diets. Fecal total lipid and cholesterol excretion were high levels in the rats fed chitosan diets. The hepatic cytosolic catalase activities significantly decreased by TCDD treatment appeared recovering trend by chitosan diets. In hepatic microsomal cytochrome p-450, NADPH cytochrome p-450 reductase, ethoxycoumarin-o-deethylase (ECOD) and benzphetamin N-demethylase (BPND), chitosan than chitosan oligomer diets apparently decreased the increasing levels by TCDD treatment. In histochemical observation, the fat droplets and apoptosis of hepatocytes by TCDD treatment were markedly alleviated by chitosan and chitosan oligomer diets. These results indicate that chitosan, more than chitosan oligomer can exert preventive effects on some disorders of hepatic functions and lipids accumulation by TCDD.