Cuscuta arvensis Beyr "Dodder": In Vivo Hepatoprotective Effects Against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Protective effect of Leuco-methylene blue against acetaminophen-induced liver injury: an experimental study

Acetaminophen is a commonly used drug for mild to moderate pain relief; however, acetaminophen toxicity due to the formation of toxic metabolites is a major cause of drug-induced liver injury. Methylene blue is an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of methemoglobinemia and has potential applications in the treatment of carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning. Leuco-methylene blue, a colorless form of methylene blue, is more effective in entering cells and counteracting oxidative stress, making it a valuable option in regulating mitochondrial function and ATP production. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of LMB on liver damage caused by acetaminophen toxicity. Thirty-six rats were divided into six groups: control, APAP, NAC, LMB, MB, and NAC+LMB. All groups except the control received acetaminophen (1500 mg/kg), followed by treatments with NAC (100 mg/kg), LMB (5 mg/kg), MB (5 mg/kg), and NAC+LMB after 3 hours. The rats were sacrificed 24 hours post-acetaminophen administration. LMB significantly reduced serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, and ALP) and increased the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant defense (PGC-1, Nrf2, and Tfam). Additionally, LMB significantly increased total antioxidant capacity and glutathione reductase levels, decreased the prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), and reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in the liver tissue. LMB effectively reduced the severity of acetaminophen-induced liver damage through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. LMB can effectively ameliorate APAP-induced toxicity in rats, with comparable efficacy to N-acetylcysteine with respect to most complications of acetaminophen-induced toxicity in rats.

Dodder (Cuscuta sp.) extract prevents cognitive deficits in a rat model of hepatic encephalopathy

OBJECTIVE

In our study, the protective effect of dodder plant extract against encephalopathy induced by cholestatic liver disease model was investigated.

METHODS

Spraque Dawley rats were used in the study. For the cholestatic liver disease model, the bile duct ligation (BDL) was applied. The groups were determined as control, Cuscuta sp. (CUS), BDL and BDL + CUS. Double ligation was performed in the bile duct in the BDL groups. For the applications, saline (SF) was administered to the control and BDL groups for 28 days while 250 mg/kg of Cuscuta sp. extract was given by oral gavage to the CUS and BDL + CUS groups. At the end of the experiment, cognitive evaluations were made by applying new object recognition and Morris water maze tests. After these tests, blood-brain barrier (BBB) measurements were made in half of the groups. In the other half of the groups, brain tissue samples were taken by decapitation and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+-ATPase) measurements were made in the tissues. Histological examinations of the tissues were also performed.

RESULTS

Cognitive performance was low, and BBB permeability was found to be increased in the group with bile duct ligation. In addition, TGF-β and 8-OHdG levels were increased in tissues, while Na+/K+-ATPase enzyme activity was suppressed. Treatment with Cuscuta sp. increased cognitive performance and decreased BBB permeability. Other biochemical parameters examined were significantly (p<0.05-0.001) reversed and supported by histological findings.

CONCLUSION

Our findings in the study suggest that dodder plant may be beneficial for the protection of cognitive performance and brain tissue in encephalopathy caused by cholestasis.

Acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity: An overview of the promising protective effects of natural products and herbal formulations

BACKGROUND

The liver plays an important role in regulating the metabolic processes and is the most frequently targeted organ by toxic chemicals. Acetaminophen (APAP) is a well-known anti-allergic, anti-pyretic, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which upon overdose leads to hepatotoxicity, the major adverse event of this over-the-counter drug.

PURPOSE

APAP overdose induced acute liver injury is the second most common cause that often requires liver transplantation worldwide, for which N-acetyl cysteine is the only synthetic drug clinically approved as an antidote. So, it was felt that there is a need for the novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of liver diseases with less adverse effects. This review provides detailed analysis of the different plant extracts; phytochemicals and herbal formulations for the amelioration of APAP-induced liver injury.

METHOD

The data was collected using different online resources including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Springer, and Web of Science using keywords given below.

RESULTS

Over the past decades various reports have revealed that plant-based approaches may be a better treatment choice for the APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in pre-clinical experimental conditions. Moreover, herbal compounds provide several advantages over the synthetic drugs with fewer side effects, easy availability and less cost for the treatment of life-threatening diseases.

CONCLUSION

The current review summarizes the hepatoprotective effects and therapeutic mechanisms of various plant extracts, active phytoconstituents and herbal formulations with potential application against APAP induced hepatotoxicity as the numbers of hepatoprotective natural products are more without clinical relativity. Further, pre-clinical pharmacological research will contribute to the designing of natural products as medicines with encouraging prospects for clinical application.

UPLC-Q/TOF-MS based plasma metabolomics study of hepatoprotective effect of Cuscutae semen on CCl4-induced liver injury model of rats

BACKGROUND

Hepatic disorders is a serious health problem threaten human. Cuscutae semen (CS) is a broadly used Chinese medicine as a tonic to nourish the liver and kidney.

OBJECTIVE

Our research aimed to assess the hepatoprotective effect of CS on CCl₄ -induced liver injury rats via plasma metabolomics.

METHODS

The liver injury rats were induced by 40% CCl₄ in olive oil twice a week for 21 days. The CS group received CS 2g/kg every day for 21 days. The liver tissues were used for histological studies. The serum was used for biochemical parameters analysis. Plasma metabolomic analysis were performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS).

RESULTS

Administration of CS could relieve hepatocyte necrosis, decrease levels of serum biochemical parameters in comparison with CCl₄ group. The principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) analyses on plasma metabolomes showed an obvious separation among the control, model and CS groups. The heatmap showed that CS-administered mice had the similar metabolite profiles as the control group. Seven influential pathways in plasma of hepatoprotective impacted by CS were identified.

CONCLUSION

This study verified the hepatoprotective effect of CS, and the related metabolic pathways were discussed.

Renoprotective effects of cinnamon oil against APAP-Induced nephrotoxicity by ameliorating oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation in rats

Acetaminophen (APAP) is used as a primary medication in relieving moderate pain and fever. However, APAP is associated with toxic effects in renal tissue that appear because of its free radicals property. The principle goal of the present work is to assess the kidney damage by APAP and its restore antioxidative property of cinnamon oil (CO). Animals were distributed into six animals each in six groups. Rats were administered with three varying doses of CO from 50 to 200 mg/kg b.w. respectively and only a single dose of APAP. APAP induced an alteration in serum biochemical markers, imbalance in oxidative parameters, morphological changes in kidney tissue along with increased interleukins cytokines (IL-1β & 6) and caspase (3, 9) levels. CO administration significantly ameliorates all the parameters and histopathological changes were restored. Moreover, it also restored the activities of antioxidative enzymes. Our work proved that an variance of oxidative markers in the kidney by APAP is ameliorated by CO in rats. Thus, CO could be used in reducing APAP-induced nephrotoxicity.

Evaluation of the in vivo and in vitro safety profile of Cuscuta epithymum ethanolic extract

OBJECTIVE

Cuscuta epithymum (CE) is one of the most popular medicinal plants in the world. However, detailed information about its toxicity is not available. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the safety profile of CE ethanolic extract in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The extract's in vitro toxicity profile was investigated on normal fibroblast and cervical cancer cells by cytotoxicity test. In the next step, acute oral and intraperitoneal (i.p.) toxicity of the CE extract was evaluated in Wistar rats and BALB/c mice, respectively. Sub-acute oral toxicity was also examined by administering repeated oral doses of the CE extract (50, 200, and 500 mg/kg) to Wistar rats for 28 days.

RESULTS

The CE extract exhibited a significant cytotoxicity on both normal (IC₅₀ 0.82 mg/ml, p<0.001) and cancer cells (IC₅₀ 1.42 mg/ml, p<0.001). Acute oral administration of a single dose of CE extract (175-5000 mg/kg) did not cause mortality; however, its i.p. administration caused mortality at doses greater than 75 mg/kg (i.p. LD₅₀ 154.8 mg/kg). In the sub-acute toxicity test, no significant effects in terms of weight change, organ weights, blood chemistry, or kidney pathology were observed. However, at 200 and 500 mg/kg doses, the CE extract significantly increased liver pathological scores compared to the control group (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

CE exhibited toxicities in i.p. acute and repeated oral dose administrations. It showed identical cytotoxicity against normal and cancer cells. This herb must be prescribed cautiously by traditional medicine practitioners.

Cinnamon oil against acetaminophen-induced acute liver toxicity by attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis

Acetaminophen (APAP) is used as a primary drug due to its antipyretic and analgesic activity. The mechanism of action of APAP toxicity in the liver is due to the depletion of glutathione which elicited free radicals generation. Therefore, the objective of our work is to investigate the APAP induced liver damage and its repair by free radical scavenging activity of cinnamon oil (CO) in male Wistar rats. To investigate the effects of CO at different doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w.), animals were given a single oral dose of CO per day for 14 days between 12:00-1:00 PM. The biochemical changes, imbalance in oxidative markers, interleukins, caspases and histopathological studies were determined for quantifying the hepatoprotective effect of CO. One dose of APAP (2 g/kg b.w.) results in significant hepatotoxicity and marked increase the serum markers alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, albumin, total protein, content of lipid peroxidation (LPO), interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6), caspase-3, -9 expression, DNA fragmentation and histopathological changes were observed. Significant decrease in the levels of LPO, interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, caspase-3, -9 expressions, qualitative as well as quantitative determination of DNA fragments and histopathological changes were reversed by the administration of CO dose dependently. Furthermore, it also restores the depleted activity of antioxidative enzymes. Our study shows that an imbalance in the oxidative parameter in the liver by APAP is restored by treating the animals with CO.

Herbal Therapy for the Treatment of Acetaminophen-Associated Liver Injury: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the leading cause of drug-induced liver injury worldwide, and mitochondrial oxidative stress is considered the major event responsible for APAP-associated liver injury (ALI). Despite the identification of N-acetyl cysteine, a reactive oxygen species scavenger that is regarded as an effective clinical treatment, therapeutic effectiveness remains limited due to rapid disease progression and diagnosis at a late phase, which leads to the need to explore various therapeutic approaches. Since the early 1990s, a number of natural products and herbs have been found to have hepatoprotective effects against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in terms of acute liver failure prevention and therapeutic amelioration of ALI. In this review, we summarize the hepatoprotective effects and mechanisms of medicinal plants, including herbs and fruit extracts, along with future perspectives that may provide guidance to improve the current status of herbal therapy against ALI.

K-3-Rh Protects Against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Anti-Apoptotic Effect Through PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway in Rat

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Ischemic stroke is the main cause of nerve damage and brain dysfunction, accompanied by strong brain cell apoptosis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (K-3-rh) on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A rat model of cerebral I/R injury was established. The effects of K-3-rh on cerebral infarction size, brain water content and neurological deficits in rats were evaluated. Apoptosis of ischemic brain cells after mouse I/R was observed by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect the effect of K-3-rh on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins.

RESULTS

K-3-rh can improve the neurological deficit score, reduce the infarct volume and brain water content, and inhibit cell apoptosis. In addition, K-3-rh significantly downregulated the expression of Bax and p53 and upregulated the expression of Bcl-2, and the phosphorylation level of Akt. Blockade of PI3K activity by the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin not only reversed the effects of K-3-rh on infarct volume and brain water content but also reversed the expression level of p-Akt.

CONCLUSION

K-3-rh had obvious neuroprotective effects on brain I/R injury and neuronal apoptosis, and its mechanism may be related to activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Hepatoprotective effects of Cassia semen ethanol extract on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in experimental rat

CONTEXT

Cassia semen (Cs), a seed of Cassia obtusifolia L. (Leguminosae), is a popular functional beverage. Previous studies reported that Cs displayed antioxidant, antifungal and strong liver protective effects.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates the hepatoprotective effects of Cs on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-two male Wistar rats raised with high-fat diet (HFD) were randomly allotted into model, metformin (0.2 g/kg) and Cs (0.5, 1, and 2 g/kg)-treated groups. Another 12 rats were raised with normal feed as control group; all the rats were orally administrated with drugs and vehicle for 6 weeks. Alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) mRNA levels were measured at the end of the experiment.

RESULTS

Twelve weeks of HFD administration significantly increased the levels of AST, ALT, TG, TC, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and MDA, decreased SOD (199.42 vs. 137.70 U/mg protein) and GSH (9.76 vs. 4.55 mg/g protein) contents, compared to control group. Cs administration group significantly decreased the elevated biomarkers with the ED₅₀ = 1.2 g/kg for NAFLD rats. Cs treatment also prevents the decreased expression of LDL-R mRNA, and improved the histopathological changes compared to model group.

CONCLUSIONS

The hepatoprotective effect of Cs on NAFLD may possibly be due to its antioxidant effect. Cs may become a potent hepatoprotective agent in clinical therapy in the future.