The protective effect of naringenin against pyrazinamide-induced hepatotoxicity in male Wistar rats

Abstract

Abstract Background Pyrazinamide (PZA) is efficient antituberculosis drug. However, PZA-induced hepatotoxicity mediated by oxidative damage is documented. Naringenin (NGN) is a common flavanone with antioxidative properties. Thus, the present work aimed to elucidate the protective role of NGN against PZA-induced toxicity in rats. Eighty adult male Wister rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, PZA, NGN and NGN+PZA. Rats were orally administered 155 mgPZA/kg or 50 mgNGN/kg or NGN 1 h before PZA daily. After 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks, blood and liver were collected for hematological, biochemical, and histopathological investigations. Results Administering PZA alone caused remarkable declines in the white and red blood cell counts, hemoglobin content, packed cell volume, and serum levels of albumin, albumin/globulin ratio, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase and glutathione level. Serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterols, triglycerides, globulin, glucose, total and indirect bilirubin, malondialdehyde, and aminotransferases activities were markedly elevated. Additionally, the liver of PZA group exhibited considerable histopathological alterations. Inversely, in the NGN+PZA group, all the aforesaid disturbances in the studied parameters were ameliorated. Conclusions The current study revealed that NGN can be successfully utilized during treatment with PZA to prevent its side actions.