Thymoquinone supplementation ameliorates acute endotoxemia-induced liver dysfunction in rats

Endotoxemia caused by lipopolysaccharide [LPS] produced an inflammatory condition contributing to multiple organ failure. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of thymoquinone [TQ], the main constituent of Nigella saliva seeds, against LPS-induced hepatotoxicity. The obtained data revealed that LPS markedly depleted liver reduced glutathione [GSH] and significantly increased the level of malondialdehyde [MDA] and the activity of caspase-3 enzyme in the liver. Serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] and bilirubin levels and the activities of alkaline phosphatase [ALP] and gamma-glutamyl transferase [gamma-GT] enzymes were markedly increased in LPS-treated rats. TQ supplementation resulted in normalization of liver GSH and decreases in the levels of MDA and caspase-3 activity in the liver with reduction of serum TNF-alpha, serum total bilirubin and the actvities of ALP and gamma-GTenzymes. Histopathological examination revealed that TQ administration improved LPS-induced pathological abnormalities in liver tissues. The present study conclude that TQ reduced acute endoxemia-induced liver dysfunction at least in part by its anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and antioxidant activities

effects of oral grape seed extract on cisplatin-induced cytogenotoxicity in mice

The present investigation was directed to study the possible chemoprotective activity of orally administered grape seed extract [GSE] against cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity towards mouse somatic and germinal cells in vivo. Pretreatment of mice with GSE [100 mg/kg/day] for 7 days and simultaneously with a single dose of cisplatin [2.2 or 5.5 mg/kg, i.p.] for another day, significantly reduced the frequency of bone marrow micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes by factors of 1.9 and 1.28, respectively. Furthermore, GSE caused a reduction in bone marrow suppression induced by cisplatin treatment, particularly before the lower dose. In male germline, orally administration of GSE [100 mg/kg/day] for 7 consecutive days before and 7 consecutive days after treatment with a single dose of cisplatin [2.2 or 5.5 mg/kg, i.p.], significantly elevated the levels of sperm motility reduced by cisplatin treatment. Furthermore, GSE significantly decreased the elevated levels of sperm head abnormality induced with cisplatine by factors of 1.6 and 1.2, respectively. Our results indicate that GSE plays a role in attenuating the genotoxicity induced by cisplatin and may provide decreases in the development of secondary malignancy and abnormal reproductive outcomes risks