naphthoquinones and Liver-Diseases

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animals; Carcinogens; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Haplorhini; Humans; Lethal Dose 50; Liver; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Mice; Mycotoxins; Naphthoquinones; Rats; Sterigmatocystin; Trichothecenes

Sepsis is an inevitable stage of bacterial invasion characterized by the deregulated inflammatory response, resulting in multiorgan dysfunction syndrome. Acute liver injury is a common and serious complication in patients with severe sepsis. The most of conventional antibiotics in managing sepsis are effective, but they are accompanied by undesirable side effects. Therefore, the ongoing study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of echinochrome (Ech) pigment isolated from sea urchins on sepsis-induced liver damage using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model.. Male albino rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham group, CLP-induced sepsis, and septic rats treated with Ech. The estimation of liver function markers and oxidative status were analyzed.. The results demonstrated that Ech administration significantly improved liver function, as indicated by the decreased liver enzyme activities such as alanine transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase, as well as the increase of albumin content. Moreover, Ech could counteract the hepatic oxidative stress induced by CLP via a marked increment in glutathione content and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-s-transferase), as well as downregulation of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide formation. In addition, the Ech treatment repaired, to some extent, the abnormal architecture of hepatic tissues induced by polymicrobial infection.. In conclusion, Ech could be used as a potential alternative antiseptic remedy via oxidative damage attenuation.

Topics: Animals; Liver Diseases; Liver Function Tests; Male; Naphthoquinones; Oxidative Stress; Paracentrotus; Pigments, Biological; Protective Agents; Quinones; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sepsis; Treatment Outcome

The current study was designed to investigate the protective role of alkannin (ALK) on liver injury in diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice and explore its potential mechanisms.. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. The levels of insulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were determined by commercial kits. The pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined by ELISA. The levels of the ROCK/NF-κB pathway were determined by Western blotting.. The contents of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α were inhibited by ALK, metformin or fasudil in diabetic db/db mice. Further, Western blotting analysis showed that the expression of Rho, ROCK1, ROCK2, p-NF-κBp65, and p-IκBα was significantly reversed by ALK treatment. In human hepatic HepG2 cells, the hepatoprotective effects of ALK were further characterized. With response to palmitic acid-challenge, increased amounts of insulin, ALT, AST, TG, and TC were observed, whereas ALK pretreatment significantly inhibited their leakage in HepG2 cells without appreciable cytotoxic effects. The inflammation condition was recovered with ALK treatment as shown by changes of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Further, Western blotting analysis also suggested that ALK improves hepatic inflammation in a Rho-kinase pathway.. The present study successfully investigated the role of Rho-kinase signalling in diabetic liver injury. ALK exhibited hepatoprotective effects in diabetic db/db mice, and it might act through improving hepatic inflammation through the Rho-kinase pathway.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cell Survival; Cytokines; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Inflammation; Liver; Liver Diseases; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Naphthoquinones; rho-Associated Kinases; Signal Transduction

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most public metabolic disorders. It is mainly classified into type 1 and type 2. Echinochrome is a pigment from sea urchins that has antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and chelating abilities.. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic mechanisms of echinochrome pigment in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.. Thirty six male Wistar albino rats were divided into two main groups, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes groups. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups (6 rats/subgroup); control, diabetic and echinochrome groups. Diabetic model was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (60mg/kg, i.p) for type 1 diabetes and by a high fat diet for 4weeks before the injection with streptozotocin (30mg/kg, i.p) for type 2 diabetes. Diabetic groups were treated orally with echinochrome extract (1mg/kg body weight in 10% DMSO) daily for 4weeks.. Echinochrome groups showed a reduction in the concentrations of glucose, MDA and the activities of arginase, AST, ALT, ALP and GGT. While it caused general increase in the levels of insulin, TB, DB, IB, NO and the activities of G6PD, GST, GPx, SOD and GSH. The histopathological investigation showed partial restoration of pancreatic islet cells and clear improvement in the hepatic architecture.. The suggested mechanism of Ech action in the reduction of diabetic complications in liver involved two pathways; through the hypoglycemic activity and the antioxidant role of Ech.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diet, High-Fat; Islets of Langerhans; Liver Diseases; Liver Function Tests; Male; Malondialdehyde; Naphthoquinones; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Rats, Wistar

The activity of β-lapachone (3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-naphthol[1,2-b]pyran-5,6-dione, β-lap) against different stages of Schistosoma mansoni was investigated in mice. Mice infected with 50 cercariae (BH strain) were intraperitoneally treated at a dose of 50 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days, starting on the 1st, 14th, 28th and 45th days after infection, to evaluate the effect of β-lap on skin schistosomula, lung schistosomula, young worms (before oviposition) and adult worms (after oviposition), respectively. All animals were euthanized 60 days after infection. β-Lap significantly reduced (p<0.001) the number of worms in 29.78%, 37.2%, 24.2% and 40.22% when administered during the phases of skin schistosomula, lung schistosomula, young worms and adult worms, respectively. Significant reduction was also achieved in terms of female burden. In all groups, there was significant reduction in the number of eggs and granulomas in the hepatic tissue. When the intervention was performed during the phase of adult worms, β-lap reduced the size of hepatic granulomas and changed the oogram pattern, lowering the percentage of immature eggs and increasing the percentage of mature and dead eggs. Our data indicate that β-lap has moderate antischistosomal properties. Its molecule may also be used as a prototype for synthesis of new naphthoquinone derivatives with potential schistosomicidal properties. Further studies with different formulations containing β-lap are needed to clearly establish the best dose and route of administration and its mechanism of action against schistosomes.

Topics: Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Female; Granuloma; Life Cycle Stages; Liver; Liver Diseases; Lung; Lung Diseases; Magnoliopsida; Mice; Naphthoquinones; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Skin; Skin Diseases

The cytoprotective effect of green tea extract and its phenolic compounds against 1,4-naphthoquinone-induced hepatotoxicity was evaluated in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. After exposure to 1,4-naphthoquinone, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and cell viability were both improved by the presence of the tea extract and tea polyphenols. This cytoprotective effect was related to the structure of tea polyphenols, the galloyl group of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate being particularly effective. The production of liquid peroxidation by 1,4-naphthoquinone was not inhibited by the tea extract nor by tea polyphenol addition. After 2 h of incubation, the protein thiol concentration was reduced by 1,4-naphthoquinone, but this reduction was prevented by the tea extract and tea polyphenols. The reduction in protein thiol content of the cells closely paralleled the LDH leakage and loss of cell viability. These results suggest that the mechanism of protection by tea polyphenols against 1,4-naphthoquinone-induced toxicity to rat hepatocytes was due to the maintenance of protein thiol levels.

Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Drug Interactions; Liver; Liver Diseases; Male; Naphthoquinones; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Polymers; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sulfhydryl Compounds; Tea

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Diffusion; Fluorouracil; Folic Acid Antagonists; Humans; Kinetics; Liver Diseases; Naphthoquinones; Tegafur; Time Factors; Triazines

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animal Feed; Animals; Cattle; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Chickens; Food Contamination; Humans; Liver Diseases; Male; Mycotoxins; Naphthoquinones; Ochratoxins; Patulin; Rats; Sterigmatocystin; Swine

Topics: Antifibrinolytic Agents; Liver Diseases; Naphthoquinones; Retinoids; Vitamin K; Vitamin K 1

Topics: Antifibrinolytic Agents; Humans; Liver Diseases; Naphthoquinones; Retinoids; Vitamin K; Vitamin K 1

Topics: Antifibrinolytic Agents; Child; Humans; Infant; Liver Diseases; Naphthoquinones; Retinoids; Vitamin K; Vitamin K 1

Topics: Antifibrinolytic Agents; Dentistry; Humans; Hypoprothrombinemias; Liver Diseases; Naphthoquinones; Prothrombin; Tooth Extraction; Vitamin K