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Vol.2 No.2 -2 : Effect of L-arginine on methotrexate induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats.

By : Ashour A – S Abdel-Mawla1, Safia M Hassan2, Ekram N Abd Al-Haleem3 and Safeyah Z El-Hangoor4

Abstract

Methotrexate (MTX) is commonly used in the treatment of many different types of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Its cytotoxic nature also lends a substantial risk of life-threatening side effects. L-arginine is beneficial in the treatment of hepatic injury, hepatic cirrhosis and fatty liver degeneration. The present work aims to study the effect of L-arginine on hepatotoxicity of methotrexate in albino rats. Five groups of albino rats were used. Group I: control. Group II: rats were administered (MTX) in a daily oral dose of 0.45 mg/kg, for 28 days. Group III: rats were administered L-arginine in a daily oral dose of 300 mg/kg, for 28 days. Group IV: rats were received L- arginine 2 hrs before (MTX). Group V: rats were received L-arginine 2 hrs after (MTX). The results revealed different histopathological changes in liver of MTX-treated rats such as focal areas of necrosis and increased numbers of activated Kupffer cells, an apparent increase in the amount of collagen fibers and strong immunoreactive expression of α- SMA. Biochemical results revealed a significant increase in the serum levels of ALT, AST, bilirubin and decreasing the level of antioxidant enzymes. L-agrinine minimized the hepatotoxicity of MTX by decreasing the level of ALT, AST and bilirubin, MDA and increasing the antioxidant enzymes. It is concluded that L-arginine protects liver from hepatotoxicity of methotrexate and this due to its antioxidant activity.


2. Effect of L-arginine on methotrexate induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats.
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Vol.1 No.6 -8 : Acrylamide induced histochemical and immunohistochemical alterations in rat kidney cortex

By : Safia Mohamed Hassan1 and Eman Ahmed Youssef 2

Abstract

Acrylamide represents an industrial chemical and has become one of the main public health concerns since it was detected in extensively consumed food items. The present study was planned to investigate the effects of two doses of acrylamide on some enzyme activities and immunoreactivity of some immunohistochemical parameters in kidney cortex of male rats. Rats were randomly divided equally into three groups. Group (I) was control, group (II) was given acrylamide for 6 months orally in a dose of 0.05 mg/ /Kg dissolved in water for 3 doses per week and group (III) was administered acrylamide in a dose of 0.5 mg by the same way as in group II. At the end of the experiment all animals were sacrificed under anesthesia, kidney was immediately removed and processed for histochemical and immunohistochemical studies. The results revealed that the activities of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) were significantly increased, while succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity was decreased significantly compared to control group. On the other hand, immunohistochemical results showed that acrylamide significantly reduced the immunoreactions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e- NOS) in addition to significant increase in immunoreactivity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (i- NOS) and insignificant increase in alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) with respect to control group. Over all, these results suggested that the deleterious effect in kidney tissue resulted from oral administration of acrylamide, most probably due to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation.


8. Acrylamide induced histochemical and immunohistochemical alterations in rat kidney cortex
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