Alcohol-treated Rats (alcohol-treated + rat)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Protective effects of cysteine, methionine and vitamin C on the stomach in chronically alcohol treated rats

JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Ramazan Amanvermez
Abstract A chronic intake of high dose alcohol may cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the stomach. It is hypothesized that cysteine-methionine and vitamin C may neutralize harmful compounds while potentiating the antioxidant capacity of the cell or tissue. The experimental animals were fed regular diets and were maintained for 90 days in the control group, the alcoholic group, which was given 2.5 g of 50% ethanol kg,1 body wt. administered intragastrically every other day, or the alcoholic with antioxidant supplement group, to whom 2.5 g of 50% ethanol kg,1 body wt. + a solution that contained 200 mg vitamin C, 100 mg cysteine and 100 mg methionine was administered intragastrically every other day. After the treatments, the stomach was taken for pathological and biochemical analysis. The stomach of the alcoholic group rats had higher scores of pathological findings compared with the control group, whereas the scores of the antioxidant-supplemented group were lower than the alcoholic group. In addition, the oxidized protein and lipid content in the stomachs of the alcoholic group were significantly higher than the control, but antioxidant supplementation lowered the amount of oxidation in the antioxidant supplemented group. The amount of stomach glutathione in the alcoholic group was higher than that of the control and antioxidant-supplemented groups. Interestingly, the level of total thiol in the stomach tissue of rats with antioxidant supplement was statistically higher than that of the control and alcoholic groups. In conclusion, the scores of the pathological findings in the stomach of rats with the antioxidant supplement were lower than the chronic alcohol-treated rats, albeit the amount of total thiol was increased in this group. Moreover, chronic alcohol treatment led to an increase in the level of lipid and protein oxidation in the stomach tissue of rats. A simultaneous intake of ascorbate/l -cys/l -met along with ethanol attenuated the amount of oxidation which suggested that cysteine-methionine and vitamin C could play a protective role in the stomach against oxidative damage resulting from chronic alcohol ingestion. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The pharmacological potential of Sorbus commixta cortex on blood alcohol concentration and hepatic lipid peroxidation in acute alcohol-treated rats

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2006
Syng-Ook Lee
The effect of Sorbus commixta cortex, a traditional herbal medicine used for the treatment of bronchitis, gastritis and dropsy, on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and hepatic lipid peroxidation was examined in acute alcohol-treated rats. A 30-min pretreatment with a methanol extract of S. commixta cortex (SC) at concentrations higher than 200 mg kg,1 resulted in a significant decrease in BAC and the ethyl acetate fraction (SE) of the extract showed the highest potency, with a maximum of a 46% decrease at 150 mg kg,1 2h after alcohol administration (3.0 g kg,1) compared with the control group (P < 0.005). The rapid reduction in BAC did not appear to be due to the protection or activation of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity by SE. Hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased by acute alcohol administration within 6h, although pretreatment with the SE caused a significant decrease in MDA levels compared with alcohol treatment alone. Hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity remained unchanged by alcohol, SE alone or by the combined treatment of alcohol and SE. However, catalase activity was significantly reduced by acute alcohol administration and pretreatment with the SE led to significant protection of its activity. These results suggest that pretreatment with SE reduces hepatic lipid peroxidation by decreasing the bioavailability of alcohol and its oxidative metabolites, such as H2O2, at least partly, through the protection of hepatic catalase in acute alcohol-treated rats. [source]


Inhibition of Caspases In Vivo Protects the Rat Liver Against Alcohol-Induced Sensitization to Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 6 2001
Ion V. Deaciuc
Background: The mechanisms of liver sensitization by alcohol to Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remain elusive. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to test the hypothesis that alcohol-enhanced liver apoptosis may be a sensitizing mechanism for LPS and (2) to further characterize the liver apoptotic response to alcohol. Methods: Rats were fed a high-fat, alcohol-containing liquid diet for 14 weeks, treated with LPS (1.0 mg/kg of body weight, intravenously) or saline, followed by injection of a pan-caspase inhibitor {IDN1965;N -[(1,3-dimethylindole-2-carbonyl)-valinyl]-3-amino-4-oxo-5-fluoropentanoic acid; 10 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneally} or vehicle, and killed. The following parameters were assessed: plasma aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase activity (AST); liver histology and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) response; caspase-3, ,8, and ,9 activity; and mRNA and protein expression for two apoptosis-signaling molecules: Fas receptor and Fas ligand; and three apoptosis adaptors: Bax, Bcl-XL, and Bcl-2. Results: Alcohol-feeding-induced liver steatosis, slightly increased caspases' activity, the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei, and facilitated the LPS necrotic effect without affecting mRNA expression of apoptosis signals and adaptors. LPS induced a significant increase in AST and the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei, both effects being more pronounced in alcohol-treated rats. LPS produced hepatic necrosis only in alcohol-treated rats. LPS effects were associated with up-regulation of mRNA expression for both apoptosis adaptors and signaling molecules. IDN1965 administration 3 hr after LPS injection strongly inhibited caspases' activity, particularly that of caspase-3. IDN1965 also abolished the increase in TUNEL-positive nuclei, reversed the effect of LPS on plasma AST in alcohol-treated rats, and prevented LPS-induced necrosis. Conclusions: (1) Alcohol-enhanced liver apoptosis may not involve regulatory steps at the transcriptional level. LPS-induced liver apoptosis seems to involve transcriptional regulation of several apoptosis adaptors. Therefore, alcohol and LPS may enhance liver apoptosis through different mechanisms. (2) Alcohol-enhanced liver apoptosis precedes and may facilitate the hepatic effects of LPS. LPS superimposed on alcohol further elevates the rate of apoptosis in the liver. This may exceed the phagocytosing capacity of the liver so that all the apoptotic cells are not phagocytosed, but rather die of necrosis. [source]