Thymoquinone supplementation ameliorates acute endotoxemia-induced liver dysfunction in rats

ABSTRACT

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