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 Jan 18;28(1):50-63.
doi: 10.3390/pathophysiology28010005.

Coenzyme Q10 and Silymarin Reduce CCl4-Induced Oxidative Stress and Liver and Kidney Injury in Ovariectomized Rats-Implications for Protective Therapy in Chronic Liver and Kidney Diseases

Samanta Sifat Lamia  1 , Tushar Emran  1 , Jubaida Khatun Rikta  1 , Nowreen Islam Chowdhury  1 , Manoneeta Sarker  1 , Preeti Jain  1 , Tabinda Islam  1 , Zarin Tasnim Gias  1 , Manik Chandra Shill  1 , Hasan Mahmud Reza  1
Affiliations

Coenzyme Q10 and Silymarin Reduce CCl4-Induced Oxidative Stress and Liver and Kidney Injury in Ovariectomized Rats-Implications for Protective Therapy in Chronic Liver and Kidney Diseases

Samanta Sifat Lamia et al. Pathophysiology. .

Abstract

Oxidative stress is one of the key factors in the pathophysiology of liver disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of two antioxidants, namely coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and silymarin, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress and hepatic damage in ovariectomized rats. Female Long Evans rats were divided into six groups (n = 6): control, CCl4, CCl4 + CoQ10 (200 mg/kg), CCl4 + silymarin (140 mg/kg), Control + CoQ10, and Control + silymarin. Plasma and tissues from liver and kidney were analyzed for oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant enzyme activities using biochemical assays. Infiltration of inflammatory cells and fibrosis were assessed by histological staining of tissue sections. Both CoQ10 and silymarin significantly lowered serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels that were detected to be higher in CCl4 rats compared to controls. Significant reduction in CCl4-induced elevated levels of oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and advanced protein oxidation product (APOP) was observed with both antioxidants. However, in control rats, CoQ10 and silymarin did not produce a significant effect. Histological analysis revealed that CCl4 markedly increased the level of inflammatory cells infiltration and fibrosis in liver and kidney tissues, but this was significantly reduced in CCl4 + CoQ10 and CCl4 + silymarin groups. Taken together, our results suggest that CoQ10 and silymarin can protect the liver against oxidative damage through improved antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced lipid peroxidation. Thus, supplementation of the aforementioned antioxidants may be useful as a therapeutic intervention to protect liver health in chronic liver diseases.

Keywords: CCl4; coenzyme Q10; ovariectomized rat model; oxidative stress; silymarin.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and silymarin on weight of ovariectomized female rats (a) Levels of 17β-estradiol in serum of ovariectomized and non-ovariectomized rats (control); (b) Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 6. Statistical analysis involved post-hoc tests. Statistical significance is indicated as * p ≤ 0.05 and ** p ≤ 0.01.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect of CoQ10 and silymarin on MDA (a–c), NO (d–f), and advanced protein oxidation product (APOP) (g–i) levels in kidney, liver, and plasma of ovariectomized female rats. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 6, where n = 6. Statistical analysis involved post-hoc tests. Statistical significance is indicated as * p ≤ 0.05 and ** p ≤ 0.01.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of CoQ10 and silymarin on superoxide dismutase (SOD) (a–c), catalase (d–f), and reduced glutathione (GSH) (g–i) levels in kidney, liver, and plasma of ovariectomized female rats. Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 6). Statistical analysis involved post-hoc tests. Statistical significance is indicated as * p ≤ 0.05 and ** p ≤ 0.01.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of CoQ10 and silymarin on ALP (a), ALT (b) and AST (c) levels in plasma of ovariectomized female rats. Data are presented as mean ± SD (n = 6). Statistical analysis involved post-hoc tests. Statistical significance is indicated as ** p ≤ 0.01.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effect of CCl4 and supplementation with CoQ10 and silymarin on liver tissue. Hemtoxylin-eosin staining shows the cellular morphology in control (A), CCl4 (B), CCl4 + CoQ10 (C), and CCl4 + silymarin (D) liver of ovariectomized rats. Arrows indicate infiltrating cells. Sirius Red staining depicts fibrosis in control (E), CCl4 (F), CCl4 + CoQ10 (G), and CCl4 + silymarin (H) liver of ovariectomized rats. 20× magnification.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effect of CCl4 and supplementation with CoQ10 and silymarin on kidney tissue. Hemtoxylin-eosin staining shows the cellular morphology in control (A), CCl4 (B), CCl4 + CoQ10 (C), and CCl4 + silymarin (D) kidney of ovariectomized rats. Arrows indicate infiltrating cells. Arrowhead depicts deformed glomerular structure. Sirius Red staining depicts fibrosis in control (E), CCl4 (F), CCl4 + CoQ10 (G), and CCl4 + silymarin (H) kidney of ovariectomized rats. 20× magnification.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic diagram of CCl4-induced pathogenesis of liver damage and protective role of CoQ10 and silymarin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Bae J.H.A., Lee S.H., Kim H.J., Lee J.Y. The Role of Salicornia herbacea in Ovariectomy-Induced Oxidative Stress. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2006;29:1305–1309. - PubMed
    1. Jain P., Haque A., Islam T., Alam M.A., Reza H.M. Comparative evaluation of Ziziphus mauritiana leaf extracts for phenolic content, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. J. Herbs Spices Med. Plants. 2019;25:236–258. doi: 10.1080/10496475.2019.1600627. - DOI
    1. Mills K.T., Xu Y., Zhang W., Bundy J.D., Chen C.S., Kelly T.N. A systematic analysis of worldwide population-based data on the global burden of chronic kidney disease in 2010. Kidney Int. 2015;88:950–957. doi: 10.1038/ki.2015.230. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Saha P., Talukdar A.D., Nath R., Sarker S.D., Nahar L., Sahu J., Choudhury M.D. Role of Natural Phenolics in Hepatoprotection: A Mechanistic Review and Analysis of Regulatory Network of Associated Genes. Front. Pharmacol. 2019;10:509. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00509. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Adebayo A.H., Yakubu O.F., Balogun T.M. Protective properties of Citrullus lanatus on carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats. Eur. J. Med. Plants. 2014;4:979–989. doi: 10.9734/EJMP/2014/9690. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources