The effect of taurine or betaine pretreatment on hepatotoxicity and prooxidant status induced by lipopolysaccharide treatment in the liver of rats

Abstract

Background: Taurine or betaine have been reported to have antioxidative potential and inhibit Kupffer cell activation. These effects may play an important role in their hepatoprotective effects. Therefore, they may also have protective effects in lipopolysaccharide hepatotoxicity by both inhibiting Kupffer cell activation and behaving as antioxidants.

Design: The prophylactic efficiency of taurine or betaine pretreatment for the prevention of peroxidative changes induced by lipopolysaccharide treatment in the rat liver was investigated.

Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was given to rats pretreated with taurine (1.5%, w/v) or betaine (1.5%, w/v) in drinking water for 4 weeks and plasma transaminase activities as well as hepatic malondialdehyde, diene conjugate (DC), glutathione, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined.

Results: Significant increases in plasma transaminase activities and hepatic malondialdehyde and DC levels and decreases in hepatic glutathione and alpha-tocopherol levels and SOD and glutathione peroxidase activities were observed 6 h after lipopolysaccharide treatment. This treatment did not alter ascorbic acid levels in the liver compared with controls. Taurine or betaine pretreatment in lipopolysaccharide-injected rats caused significant decreases in plasma transaminase activities and hepatic malondialdehyde and DC levels, and significant increases in glutathione and alpha-tocopherol (not betaine) levels without changing ascorbic acid levels and SOD and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver.

Conclusions: Our findings clearly indicate that taurine or betaine pretreatment was effective in the prevention of lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatotoxicity and prooxidant status.