Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Healthy Sciences, Artvin Çoruh University, Artvin, Turkey
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey
Turk J Med Sci. 2021 Jun 28;51(3):1544-1553. doi: 10.3906/sag-2004-184.
BACKGROUND/AIM: Acetaminophen (APAP), used in the composition of thousands of preparations, is the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug. The present study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of the betulinic acid (BA) treatment through an APAP-induced hepatotoxicity rat model, using inflammatory, biochemical, and histopathological parameters.
The study consisted of four groups: control group, APAP group, BA group, and APAP+BA group. Experimental studies continued for fifteen days. Serum samples were analysed for glucose, total cholesterol (TChol), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), aspartate amino transferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), toll-like receptor-9 (TLR-9), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and interleukin-18 (IL-18).
TLR9, IL-18, NF-κB, and MDA levels increased significantly in liver injury groups. These increases considerably decreased by the BA treatment. All groups showed immunopositivity for 8-hydroxy-2’–deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and interleukin (IL-1β) in the hepatocytes, inflammatory cells, and epithelial cells of bile ducts.
BA can be used as an effective agent in the prevention and treatment of acute liver diseases due to its inhibitory properties in multiple pathways and its potent antioxidant effects.
背景/目的：醋氨酚（APAP），用于数千种制剂的组成，是最常用的镇痛药和退烧药。本研究旨在通过 APAP 诱导的肝毒性大鼠模型，利用炎症、生化和组织病理学参数，研究白桦脂酸（BA）治疗的潜在保护作用。
研究包括四组：对照组、APAP 组、BA 组和 APAP+BA 组。实验研究持续了十五天。分析血清样本中的葡萄糖、总胆固醇（TChol）、甘油三酯（TG）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL）、高密度脂蛋白（HDL）、天门冬氨酸氨基转移酶（AST）、丙二醛（MDA）、Toll 样受体-9（TLR-9）、核因子 kappa B（NF-κB）和白细胞介素-18（IL-18）。
TLR9、IL-18、NF-κB 和 MDA 水平在肝损伤组显著升高。BA 治疗后这些升高明显降低。所有组在肝细胞、炎症细胞和胆管上皮细胞中均显示出 8-羟基-2’–脱氧鸟苷（8-OHdG）和白细胞介素（IL-1β）的免疫阳性。
BA 可作为一种有效的预防和治疗急性肝病的药物，因其在多条途径中的抑制作用和强大的抗氧化作用。
