Protective effects of melatonin against carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity in rats

Melatonin is an indolamine, mainly secreted by the pineal gland into the blood of mammalian species. The potential for protective effects of melatonin on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced acute liver injury in rats was investigated in this work. CCl4 exerts its toxic effects by generation of free...

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Published in:	Cell biochemistry and function Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 353 - 359
Main Authors:	Zavodnik, L. B., Zavodnik, I. B., Lapshina, E. A., Belonovskaya, E. B., Martinchik, D. I., Kravchuk, R. I., Bryszewska, M., Reiter, R. J.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-09-2005
Subjects:	Alanine Transaminase - blood Alanine Transaminase - metabolism Animals Antioxidants - administration & dosage Antioxidants - pharmacology Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood Aspartate Aminotransferases - metabolism Bilirubin - blood carbon tetrachloride Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning - complications Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning - metabolism Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning - pathology Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning - prevention & control Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - complications Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - metabolism Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control Free Radicals - metabolism Hepatocytes - cytology Hepatocytes - drug effects Hepatocytes - pathology lipid and hydropic dystrophy liver Male melatonin Melatonin - administration & dosage Melatonin - pharmacology nitric oxide Rats Rats, Wistar
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Summary:	Melatonin is an indolamine, mainly secreted by the pineal gland into the blood of mammalian species. The potential for protective effects of melatonin on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced acute liver injury in rats was investigated in this work. CCl4 exerts its toxic effects by generation of free radicals; it was intragastrically administered to male Wistar rats (4 g kg−1 body weight) at 20 h before the animals were decapitated. Melatonin (15 mg kg−1 body weight) was administered intraperitoneally three times: 30 min before and at 2 and 4 h after CCl4 injection. Rats injected with CCl4 alone showed significant lipid and hydropic dystrophy of the liver, massive necrosis of hepatocytes, marked increases in free and conjugated bilirubin levels, elevation of hepatic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) in plasma, as well as NO accumulation in liver and in blood. Melatonin administered at a pharmacological dose diminished the toxic effects of CCl4. Thus it decreased both the structural and functional injury of hepatocytes and clearly exerted hepatoprotective effects. Melatonin administration also reduced CCl4‐induced NO generation. These findings suggest that the effect of melatonin on CCl4‐induced acute liver injury depends on the antioxidant action of melatonin. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bibliography:	ark:/67375/WNG-2FKLV67G-X istex:C7FDD539C4A4856E2CA0B01B83CA758218AADCC7 ArticleID:CBF1160 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0263-6484 1099-0844
DOI:	10.1002/cbf.1160