Aksu Feyza, Kavaklı Ahmet, Kuloglu Tuncay, Yilmaz Seval, Kaya Emre, Akkoc Ramazan Fazil, Yilmaz Mustafa, Emre Elif, Ogetürk Murat
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, TUR.
Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, TUR.
Cureus. 2024 Feb 26;16(2):e54914. doi: 10.7759/cureus.54914. eCollection 2024 Feb.
The study determined the damage caused by formaldehyde (FA) exposure in blood and liver samples using biochemical markers. Histopathological analysis was performed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and measurement of CD68 cell density. To what extent the antioxidant molecules thymoquinone (TQ) and ozone (O) reversed the damage caused by FA exposure was investigated, both when used alone and combined.
Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley male rats of eight to ten weeks of age were used in the experiment. The rats were divided into eight groups, with seven rats in each group: the untreated control group, the group treated with TQ (10 mg/kg/day), the group treated with O (150 μg/kg/day), the group treated with TQ+O, the group exposed to FA (10 ppm 8 h/day), the group receiving FA+TQ, the group receiving FA+O, and the group receiving FA+TQ+O. Serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), total antioxidant (TAS, U/mL), and total oxidant (TOS, nmol/mL) levels were analyzed. TAS and TOS levels, CD68 cell density, and apoptotic cells were determined in liver tissues.
FA exposure caused an increase in serum AST and ALT levels of (p<0.05) experimental animals, a decrease in TAS levels in serum (p=0.03) and liver (p>0.05) and an increase in TOS levels (p>0.05), TUNEL positivity (p<0.001), and CD68 cell density (p=0.004). Administration of TQ and O as antioxidants significantly reversed biochemical and histopathological alterations in the serum and liver.
TQ and ozone therapy suppressed oxidative stress caused by FA exposure and reversed the emerging histopathological deteriorations. Ozone therapy did not suppress the effects of TQ. Therefore, ozone therapy can be given as a supportive therapy along with the main therapeutic agents. We think TQ and ozone therapy may be useful to protect individuals exposed to FA.
本研究使用生化标志物确定甲醛（FA）暴露对血液和肝脏样本造成的损伤。采用末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶dUTP缺口末端标记（TUNEL）法进行组织病理学分析，并测量CD68细胞密度。研究了抗氧化分子百里醌（TQ）和臭氧（O）单独使用及联合使用时，在多大程度上能逆转FA暴露所造成的损伤。
实验选用56只8至10周龄的雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠。将大鼠分为八组，每组七只：未处理的对照组、TQ处理组（10毫克/千克/天）、O处理组（150微克/千克/天）、TQ+O处理组、FA暴露组（10 ppm，每天8小时）、FA+TQ处理组、FA+O处理组以及FA+TQ+O处理组。分析血清天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）、丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）、总抗氧化剂（TAS，单位：U/mL）和总氧化剂（TOS，单位：nmol/mL）水平。测定肝脏组织中的TAS和TOS水平、CD68细胞密度以及凋亡细胞。
FA暴露导致实验动物血清AST和ALT水平升高（p<0.05），血清（p=0.03）和肝脏（p>0.05）中的TAS水平降低，TOS水平升高（p>0.05），TUNEL阳性率升高（p<0.001）以及CD68细胞密度升高（p=0.004）。作为抗氧化剂的TQ和O的给药显著逆转了血清和肝脏中的生化及组织病理学改变。
TQ和臭氧疗法抑制了FA暴露引起的氧化应激，并逆转了新出现的组织病理学恶化。臭氧疗法并未抑制TQ的作用。因此，臭氧疗法可作为主要治疗药物的辅助疗法。我们认为TQ和臭氧疗法可能有助于保护暴露于FA的个体。
