The beneficial effect of nanostructured oligochitosan against gamma irradiation and/or Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced hepatic injury in rats

The current study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective potential of nanostructured oligochitosan (NOC) against the synergistic toxic effects of γ-irradiation exposure and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxication in male rats. Adult male rats were allocated into eight groups; control, NOC-administered, γ-irradiated, CCl4-intoxicated, NOC-pretreated γ-irradiated, NOC-pretreated CCl4-intoxicated, γ-irradiated and CCl4-intoxicated, NOC-pretreated CCl4-intoxicated and γ-irradiated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results demonstrated that the oligochitosan prepared by exposure to gamma irradiation was in the range of nanoparticles. A synergistic hepatotoxic effect was demonstrated following the exposure of rats to γ-irradiation and CCl4 intoxication, along with the induction of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. NOC was able to protect the hepatocytes from the combined toxic insults through suppressing lipid and protein oxidations, maintaining hepatic functions, downregulating the expression of some inflammatory genes, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), as well as enhancing the expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl2 gene and suppressing the proapoptotic Bax gene expression. Histological findings of liver tissues verified the biochemical and molecular data. The study clarified some of the molecular mechanisms by which NOC protects the liver against the synergistic toxic effect of γ-irradiation and CCl4.