Does Commiphora extract have an effect on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in adult albino rats? Histological and biochemical study

Introduction: Carbon tetrachloride [CCl[4]] is a well-known hepatocyte-destructive agent. Commiphora mukul is a medicinal plant found to be effective in the treatment of a variety of disorders

Aim of the work: To study the effect of Commiphora extract on liver injury induced by the administration of CCl[4] in rats

Materials and methods: Forty adult male albino rats were divided randomly into three groups. Group I [control group], group II [positive controls, which received CCl[4] for 2 weeks], and group IIIa and group IIIb, which received 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, of Commiphora extract orally before the administration of CCl[4]. Two weeks after the administration of CCl[4], animals were killed, and the livers were removed and processed for histological and electron microscopic examination. Liver functions were measured

Results: A low dose of Commiphora extract did not lead to any improvement; loss of hepatic architecture occurred. An apparent decrease in fibrous tissue and cellular infiltration was observed around the preexisting portal tract. Some hepatocytes showed fatty changes. At a high dose of Commiphora, hepatic lobules regained their normal architecture with proliferating bile ductules in the portal tract. Some hepatic lobules still showed vacuolation and necrosis of their hepatocytes

Conclusion: Higher doses of Commiphora extract before CCl[4] might be more effective in the amelioration of CCl[4]-induced liver injury and fibrosis

TNF alpha, DNA fragmentation, biochemical and histopathological changes of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity. possible protective role of salicylate

Cisplatin is an antineoplastic drug with well known nephrotoxicity, meanwhile salicylate was recently shown to provide protection against oxidants injury of the kidneys in rats. To investigate the possibility to decrease the nephrotoxic effect of cisplatin by salicylate. A total of 120 rats were divided equally into four groups: the first group was given 20 mg/kg cisplatin, the second was given 20mg/kg cisplatin and salicylate 100mg/kg, the third was given salicylate 100mg/kg and used as positive control and the fourth was given saline and used as negative control. Renal biochemical and histopathological changes, DNA fragmentation and tumor necrosis factor-a [TNF-alpha] were investigated. Salicylate significantly reduced both the functional and histological evidence of cisplatin renal injury. Cisplatin increased significantly the renal expression of TNF-alpha while concomitant administration of cisplatin with salicylate signifIcantly reduced serum TNF-alpha protein levels. Salicylate reduces cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity as a result of inhibiting TNF-alpha production. Thus, further experimental and clinical studies on preparations of this combination are warranted