Protective effects of carnosine alone and together with alpha-tocopherol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus ethanol-induced liver injury

Publication date: March 2016 Source:Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, Volume 42 Author(s): Esra Betül Kalaz, A. Fatih Aydın, Işın Doğan-Ekici, Jale Çoban, Semra Doğru-Abbasoğlu, Müjdat Uysal The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of carnosine (CAR) alone and together with vitamin E (Vit E) on alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) in rats. ASH was induced by ethanol (3 times; 5g/kg; 12h intervals, via gavage), followed by a single dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10mg/kg; i.p.). CAR (250mg/kg; i.p.) and Vit E (200mg d-α-tocopherol/kg; via gavage) were administered 30min before and 90min after the LPS injection. CAR treatment lowered high serum transaminase activities together with hepatic histopathologic improvements in rats with ASH. Reactive oxygen species formation, malondialdehyde levels, myeloperoxidase activities and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and collagen 1α1 (COL1A1) expressions were observed to decrease. These improvements were more remarkable in CAR plus Vit E-treated rats. Our results indicate that CAR may be effective in suppressing proinflammatory, prooxidant, and profibrotic factors in the liver of rats with ASH.
Source: Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research