Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Nov;50(6):908-917.
doi: 10.1111/ahe.12735. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

Therapeutic effects of thymoquinone in doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity via oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis

Affiliations

Therapeutic effects of thymoquinone in doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity via oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis

Ali Tuğrul Akin et al. Anat Histol Embryol. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Cancer is a lethal disease that is characterized by uncontrolled cell division and proliferation, and it results in death in many organisms. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a therapeutic agent used for treatment of many cancer types, but it induces serious hepatotoxicity. In this study, we aimed to determine possible hepato-therapeutic effects of thymoquinone (THQ) on DOX-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Rats were divided into five groups (n = 8): Control, THQ (10 mg/kg/day/i.p for 14 days), Olive Oil (equal volume with THQ for 14 days), DOX (single dose, 15 mg/kg/i.p on 7th day) and DOX + THQ (10 mg/kg/day/i.p and DOX 15 mg/kg/i.p on 7th day). At the end of the experiment, liver tissues were extracted and evaluated histopathologically. eNOS, iNOS and Cas-3 immunostaining were performed to determine the expression levels. TUNEL method was used to determine apoptotic index. Furthermore, liver tissue total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), TNF-α and TGF-β levels were measured by ELISA assay. The DOX group showed histopathological deterioration compared to Control group. Moreover, apoptotic index, eNOS, iNOS and Cas-3 expressions increased in DOX group. While TAS level of the DOX group decreased, TOS level increased. TNF-α and TGF-β levels increased in DOX group. However, there was improvement in DOX + THQ group compared to DOX group. Moreover, apoptotic cell number, eNOS, iNOS and Cas-3 expressions decreased in DOX + THQ group compared to DOX group. We concluded that thymoquinone can be used as a phytotherapeutic for reducing DOX-induced liver damage.

Keywords: apoptosis; doxorubicin; inflammation; oxidative stress; thymoquinone.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Al Aboud, D., Baty, R. S., Alsharif, K. F., Hassan, K. E., Zhery, A. S., Habotta, O. A., Elmahallawy, E. K., Amin, H. K., Abdel Moneim, A. E., & Kassab, R. B. (2021). Protective efficacy of thymoquinone or ebselen separately against arsenic-induced hepatotoxicity in rat. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 28(5), 6195-6206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10955-1
    1. Al-Dalaen S. M. (2014). Review Article: Oxidative Stress Versus Antioxidants. American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 2(5), 60. http://dx.doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20140205.11
    1. Bilgic, S., & Ozgocmen, M. (2019). The protective effect of misoprostol against doxorubicin induced liver injury. Biotechnic and Histochemistry, 94(8), 583-591. https://doi.org/10.1080/10520295.2019.1605457
    1. Cainelli, F., & Vallone, A. (2009). Safety and efficacy of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma. Biologics, 3, 385-390. https://doi.org/10.2147/btt.2009.3455
    1. Cha, D. I., Song, K. D., Ha, S. Y., Hong, J. Y., Hwang, J. A., & Ko, S. E. (2021). Long-term follow-up of oxaliplatin-induced liver damage in patients with colorectal cancer. British Journal of Radiology, 94(1123), 20210352. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20210352

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources