Cod liver oil in sodium nitrite induced hepatic injury: does it have a potential protective effect?

OBJECTIVES

Exposure to sodium nitrites, a food additive, at high levels has been reported to produce reactive nitrogen and oxygen species that cause dysregulation of inflammatory responses and tissue injury. In this work, we examined the impact of dietary cod liver oil on sodium nitrite-induced inflammation in rats.

METHODS

Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawely rats were treated with 80 mg/kg sodium nitrite in presence/absence of 5 ml/kg cod liver oil. Liver sections were stained with hematoxylin/eosin. We measured hepatic tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-1 beta (IL)-1β, C-reactive protein (CRP), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and caspase-3.

RESULTS

Cod liver oil reduced sodium nitrite-induced hepatocyte damage. In addition, cod liver oil results in reduction of hepatic TNF-α, IL-1β, CRP, TGF-β1, and caspase-3 when compared with the sodium nitrite group.

DISCUSSION

Cod liver oil ameliorates sodium nitrite-induced hepatic injury via multiple mechanisms including blocking sodium nitrite-induced elevation of inflammatory cytokines, fibrosis mediators, and apoptosis markers.