Protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on liver damage by a single dose of CCl 4 in male rats

Abstract

Functional and morphological alterations were generated by p.o. (per os) administration of a single oral dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄; 0.125 mL/kg b.w., equivalent to 293 mg/kg) to adult male Wistar rats. CCl₄ significantly increased (p < 0.05) the serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 7478 ± 1044%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST; 6964 ± 833%), compared to control rats; CCl₄ also significantly decreased serum concentration of albumin (23 ± 5.5%) and increased the concentration of malondialhdeyde (MDA) in liver (300 ± 33%). Furthermore, CCl₄ down-regulated the mRNA steady-state level of tumor necrosis factor a(TNF-a). CCl₄ produced necrosis in the central lobe area, extended to the periphery, nuclear alterations (pycnosis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis), and cytoplasmic acidophilia. The pretreatment with 4 mg/kg (p.o.) of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE), for 5 days, prevented most of the damage caused by CCl₄: significantly decreased the serum activities of ALT and AST (54 and 65%, respectively), compared to CCl₄-treated rats; GbE partially prevented the increase of liver MDA (55 ± 14%) and the decrease of albumin concentration to 12 ± 0.2%. This pretreatment prevented the down-regulation of TNF-a and up-regulated the interleukine 6 (IL-6) mRNA steady-state level. Moreover, the GbE reduced the amount of necrotic areas in the central lobe area, compared to CCl₄-treated rats.

Keywords

carbon tetrachloride alanine-aminotransferase aspartate-aminotransferase malondialhdeyde Ginkgo biloba extract liver transaminases tumor necrosis factor-a interleukine-6

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