Potential protective role of spirulina algae and/or aminoguanidine on carbon tetrachloride induced liver fibrosis in rats.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Zoology Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education , Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Biological Applications Department, Radioisotopes Applications Division, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

The present study focuses on fibrotic effects on rat liver tissue induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injection and the possible protective effects of spirulina algae (SP) and/or aminoguanidine (AG) on induced histological and biochemical changes.
To achieve this goal, a comparison was conducted between control and fibrotic groups (60 rats each). Fibrotic rats model was induced by the injection with an intraperitoneal dose of 2.0 ml/kg body weight CCl4 twice/ week for four weeks to induce fibrosis. Control group was divided into four subgroups (n=15) as follows: control given saline through orogastric tube; SP administered with SP at a dose of 1g/kg/b.wt; AG administered with AG at a dose of 100 mg AG/kg/b.wt; double treatment group with SP+AG at the aforementioned doses (1g/kg/b.wt of SP+ 100mg/kg/b.wt of AG). Fibrotic groups were similarly subdivided into 4 subgroups (n=15): fibrotic non-treated; SP; AG and SP + AG as a mixture treated subgroups. The study extended for 3 time intervals, 2, 4 and 6 weeks (n=5/ intervals).
Histological alterations in liver tissue of fibrotic rats included hepatocytes degeneration with pyknotic nuclei and connective tissue fibers proliferation using haemtoxylin & eosin and silver impregnation technique for investigations. Biochemical results showed significant (P˂0.05) increase in serum levels of α-fetoprotein (AFP), carcino embryonic antigen (CEA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). On the other hand, significant (P˂0.05) decrease in activity of cytochrome P450 content (CYP-450) was recorded in fibrotic rats compared with the normal controls.
When fibrotic subgroups were treated with SP and/or AG, considerable protective effects in previous biochemical and histological parameters were recorded especially in mixture treated group. 

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