Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Background: Hepatotoxic injury can have several forms including necrosis, steatosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis and carcinoma. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effects of quercetin (50 mg/kg), lecithin (100 mg/kg) and their combination versus silymarin (100 mg/kg) as a reference standard against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups where CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg; p.o.; twice/week for 4 weeks) was administered to all groups except the first group that served as normal group. The second group received only CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg, p.o.). Group III, IV and V received orally silymarin (100 mg/kg), quercetin (50 mg/kg) and lecithin (100 mg/kg), respectively. Group VI received orally a combination of silymarin (100 mg/kg) and quercetin (50 mg/kg). Group VII received orally a combination of silymarin (100 mg/kg) and lecthin (100 mg/kg) while group VIII received orally a combination of quercetin (50 mg/kg) and lecithin (100 mg/kg). Results: CCl4 caused marked liver damage as manifested by significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin and alpha-feto protein (AFP) serum levels together with decrease in total protein and albumin serum levels. It also resulted in a significant decrease in liver reduced glutathione (GSH) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) hepatic contents parallel to a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-Ü) and hydroxyproline (HP) hepatic contents

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