Protective effect of Panax ginseng against thioacetamide cytotoxicity in liver and kidney of albino rat

Thioacetamide [TA] has a deleterious effect on hepatocytes and kidney cells. TA administration is an established technique for generating rat models of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Panax ginseng root has an antioxidant and protective effect against many chemical and physical agents. In this study Panax gensing roots with a dose of 117mg/kg was used for a period of 10 days prior to TA oral administration of 300 mg/kg sublethal dose. TA highly affected liver and kidney of rats. Previous starvation for 24, 48 and 72 hours immediately to TA administration strongly potentiated the effect of TA on the tissue injury of liver and kidney. The histopathological observations indicated highly disturbed hepatic portal area and marked hyperplasia in liver of rats while the damage of kidney involved areas of internal haemorrhage, disrupted and swollen cells of convoluted tubules and lobulated atrophied glomeruli. The obtained results showed that pre-treatment with Panax ginseng roots partially improved or modulated the pathological changes induced by TA intoxication in the liver while no significant protective effect in kidney cells has been detected against cellular damages of TA. This work aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Panax ginseng roots against the destructive effect of TA. Histochemical analysis of total protein showed that administration of TA induced depletion of liver and kidney proteins while pretreatment with ginseng improved the protein contents

Toxic effects of the synthetic food dye brilliant blue on liver, kidney and testes functions in rats

Evaluation of the toxic effects of synthetic dyes brilliant blue were tested in rats by measuring their actions on serum activity of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminas [AST], glutamate pyruvate transaminase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], acid phosphatase [ACP], serum total bilirubin [SBIL-T], serum creatinine [SCR], serum urea [SUR] and serum testosterone concentrations. Rats were fed synthetic brilliant blue dye supplemented diet, daily for 15, 30 and 45 days. Brilliant blue dye caused an increase of ALT, AST, ALP, SBIL-T, SUR and SCR. This increase was more pronounced in animals treated with repeated single higher doses than in those receiving the repeated single lower doses. On the contrary, serum ACP and testosterone concentrations were decreased after treatment. Histopathological examinations revealed alterations in kidneys include: congestion and hemorrhage with infiltration, thick walled blood vessels and deformation of the structure of glomeruli. Whereas alterations in liver include: focal necrosis of hepatocytes, infiltration and vacuolation. Testes showed irregular shape of seminiferous tubules, atrophy of Leydig cells and disturbance in spermatogenesis. Results indicated that the used doses of the synthetic dye brilliant blue were mostly attributable to hepatocellular damage, renal failure and decrease in spermatogenesis process