Open Access

ARTICLE

Protective effects of L-carnosine on CCl₄ -induced hepatic injury in rats

Mehyar Mohammad Alsheblak¹, Nehal M. Elsherbiny¹, Amro El-Karef², Mamdouh M. El-Shishtawy¹

1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
2 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt

* Corresponding Authors: Mamdouh M El-Shishtawy, ,

European Cytokine Network 2016, 27(1), 6-15. https://doi.org/10.1684/ecn.2016.0372

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effect of L-carnosine (CAR), an endogenous dipeptide of alanine and histidine, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatic injury. Liver injury was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of CCl₄, twice weekly for six weeks. CAR was administered to rats daily, at dose of 250 mg/kg, i.p. At the end of six weeks, blood and liver tissue specimens were collected. Results show that CAR treatment attenuated the hepatic morphological changes, necroinflammation and fibrosis induced by CCl₄, as indicated by hepatic histopathology scoring. In addition, CAR treatment significantly reduced the CCl₄-induced elevation of liver-injury parameters in serum. CAR treatment also combated oxidative stress; possibly by restoring hepatic nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) levels. Moreover, CAR treatment prevented the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), as indicated by reduced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in the liver, and decreased hepatic inflammation as demonstrated by a reduction in hepatic tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and restoration of interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels. In conclusion, CCl₄-induced hepatic injury was alleviated by CAR treatment. The results suggest that these beneficial, protective effects are due, at least in part, to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activities.

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