Abstract
Purpose:
Paraquat (PQ; 1,1′dimethyl-bipyridilium 4,4′-dichloride), which is used extensively throughout the world, is highly toxic to humans. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of different doses of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on PQ-intoxicated rats.
Materials and methods:
A total of 80 rats were divided into the following eight groups, comprising 10 rats in each group: group 1: control; group 2: administered with CAPE (10 µmol/kg); group 3: administered with 15 mg/kg PQ (PQ15 group); group 4: administered with 30 mg/kg PQ (PQ30 group); group 5: administered with 45 mg/kg PQ (PQ45 group); group 6: administered with 15 mg/kg PQ + CAPE; group 7: administered with 30 mg/kg PQ + CAPE and group 8: administered with 45 mg/kg PQ + CAPE. Both PQ and CAPE were injected intraperitoneally. Pancreatic tissue was examined with both haematoxylin and eosin and immunochemical staining.
Results:
The ratio of the immunohistochemical staining area to the total pancreatic area of the β cells revealed that statistically significant differences were observed only between the PQ and PQ + CAPE groups (p < 0.05).
Discussion:
The evaluation of the data suggests that CAPE can be used to prevent acute effects of PQ intoxication.
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