Protective Effects of Arginine Against 4 Nitrophenol Induced Liver Injury in Rats.

Kai Wang; Weifeng Xu; Pengyuan Dai; Chunmei Li

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of arginine against hepatotoxicity induced by 4-nitrophenol (PNP) in rats. Twenty-four rats were allocated to a 2×2 factorial arrangements with six rats each. The primary variations were dietary arginine (Arg) supplemental levels (0 g/kg Arg or 13 g/kg Arg) and PNP injection (0 or 100 mg/kg b.w.). Dietary Arg and subcutaneous injection PNP were performed simultaneously. Rats were sacrificed on d 8. Treatment of rats with 13 µg/kg Arg resulted in a significant increase in mean daily weight gain (ADG), liver weight, and liver coefficient. However, Arg treatment in the PNP group showed an elevated trend relative to the rats treated with PNP alone, and the results were not significant. Moreover, in animals treated with 13 g/kg Arg plus PNP, hepatic morphological impairment was alleviated, including hepatic sinusoid damage and inflammatory infiltration by PNP challenge. Compared with the PNP group, Arg plus PNP-treated rats did not show any significant change in the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of HO-1 and NQO1 in liver tissue was also not significantly different. These results indicate that PNP may damage liver tissue through oxidative stress. Arg may improve growth performance and attenuate PNP-induced liver inflammation in healthy animals, but not by reducing oxidative levels.

SUBCUTANEOUS injections; ALANINE aminotransferase; HEPATITIS; SUPEROXIDE dismutase; HYDROGEN peroxide; ARGININE

Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 2024, Vol 56, Issue 6, p2909

0030-9923

Academic Journal

10.17582/journal.pjz/20221009061004