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Prophylactic and Therapeutic Potential of Acetyl‐ l ‐carnitine against Acetaminophen‐Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice
Author(s) -
Alotaibi Salman A.,
Alanazi Abdulrazaq,
Bakheet Saleh A.,
Alharbi Naif O.,
Nagi Mahmoud N.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.526
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0461
pISSN - 1095-6670
DOI - 10.1002/jbt.21733
Subject(s) - acetylcarnitine , acetaminophen , chemistry , pharmacology , glutathione , toxicity , antioxidant , therapeutic effect , therapeutic index , carnitine , enzyme , biochemistry , medicine , drug , organic chemistry
Prophylactic and therapeutic effects of acetylcarnitine against acetaminophen‐induced hepatotoxicity were studied in mice. To evaluate the prophylactic effects of acetylcarnitine, mice were supplemented with acetylcarnitine (2 mmol/kg/day per oral (p.o.) for 5 days) before a single dose of acetaminophen (350 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)). Animals were sacrificed 6 h after acetaminophen injection. Acetaminophen significantly increased the markers of liver injury, hepatic reactive oxygen species, and nitrate/nitrite, and decreased hepatic glutathione (GSH) and the antioxidant enzymes. Acetylcarnitine supplementation resulted in reversal of all biochemical parameters toward the control values. To explore the therapeutic effects of acetylcarnitine, mice were given a single dose of acetylcarnitine (0.5, 1, and 2 mmol/kg p.o.) 1.5 h after acetaminophen. Animals were sacrificed 6 h after acetaminophen. Acetylcarnitine administration resulted in partial reversal of liver injury only at 2 mmol/kg p.o. At equimolar doses, N ‐acetylcystiene was superior as therapeutic agent to acetylcarnitine. However, acetylcarnitine potentiated the effect of N ‐acetylcystiene in the treatment of acetaminophen toxicity.