The Role of L-Carnitine in Antiapoptotic and Histopathological Changes in Lung Injury İnduced by Carbon Tetrachloride

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study to investigate the toxic effects of Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) exposure on the lung, the protective and therapeutic role of L-carnitine against these toxic effects and the change of caspase-3 activity.
Materials and Methods: In the study, 25 rats were divided into 5 groups, with 5 in each group. Groups were created as follows. Group I: Control Group: 0.2 ml of olive oil twice a week for 6 weeks Intraperitoneal (ip); Group II: L-carnitine group, 200 mg/kg L-carnitine twice a week for 6 weeks (ip); Group III: CCl4 group: 0.2 ml/100 g CC14 twice a week for 6 weeks (ip); Group IV: CCI4 + L-carnitine group, 200 mg/kg L-carnitine half an hour after applying 0.2 ml/100 g CCl4 twice a week for 6 weeks (ip); Group V: L-carnitine + CCl4 group, 200 mg/kg L-carnitine 24 hours before 0.2 ml/100 g CCl4 application twice a week for 6 weeks (ip). Both CCl4 and L-carnitine administration was continued twice a week for 6 weeks. Lung histopathology was evaluated, and caspase-3 enzyme activity was determined by immunohistochemical method. Caspase-3 immunopositive cells were counted and statistical analysis was performed.
Results: An obvious difference was observed in the lung tissue histology of the CCl4 administered group. Histopathological changes such as increase in alveolar interstitial areas, vacuolization and degeneration in bronchiolar epithelium were encountered. According to the results of statistical analysis, Group III and Group V values were significantly higher than the control group. When L-carnitine was given before CCl4, the number of caspase-3 cells was higher than the control group. And when L-carnitine was given later than CCl4, the number of caspase-3 cells was similar with the control group.
Conclusion: As a result, we think that L-carnitine supplement has an anti-apoptotic effect and it can use as a therapeutic agent in alveolar damage formation.

Keywords

• Carbon tetrachloride
• Caspase-3
• L-carnitine
• Apoptosis

Karbon Tetraklorürün Neden Olduğu Akciğer Hasarında L-Karnitinin Antiapoptotik ve Histopatolojik Değişiklikler Üzerindeki Rolü

Öz

Amaç: Karbon Tetraklorür (CCl4) maruziyetinin akciğer üzerindeki toksik etkileri, bu toksik etkilere karşı L-karnitin'in koruyucu ve iyileştirici rolü ve kaspaz-3 aktivesinin değişiminin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır.
Materyal ve Metod: Çalışmada 25 adet sıçan her grupta 5 adet olacak şekilde 5 gruba ayrıldı. Deneyde yer alan gruplar şu şekilde oluşturuldu. Grup I: Kontrol grubu, 6 hafta boyunca haftada iki kez 0.2 ml zeytinyağı intraperitonal (ip) , Grup II: L-karnitin grubu, 6 hafta boyunca haftada iki kez 200 mg/kg L-karnitin (ip), Grup III: CCl4 grubu: 6 hafta boyunca haftada iki kez 0.2 ml /100 g CCl4 (ip), Grup IV: CCl4 + L-karnitin grubu, 6 hafta boyunca haftada iki kez CCl4 0.2 ml/100 g uygulamasından yarım saat sonra 200 mg/kg L-karnitin (ip), Grup V: L-karnitin + CCl4 grubu, 6 hafta boyunca haftada iki kez her 0.2 ml/100g CCl4 uygulamasından 24 saat önce 200 mg/kg L-karnitin (ip) verildi. Hem CCl4 hem de L-karnitin uygulamasına 6 hafta boyunca haftada iki kez devam edildi. Akciğer histopataolojisi değerlendirildi ve kaspaz-3enzim aktivitesi immunohistokimyasal yöntemle belirlendi. Kaspaz-3 immunpozitif hücre sayımı yapıldı.
Bulgular: CCl4 uygulanan grubunun akciğer dokusu histolojisinde belirgin fark gözlenmiştir. Alveolar intersitisiyel alanlarda artış, bronşiol epitelinde vakuolizasyon ve dejenerasyon gibi histopatolojik değişikliklere rastlanılmıştır. İstatistiksel analiz sonuçlarına göre Grup III ve V, kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak yüksek bulunmuştur. L-karnitin CCl4 den önce verildiğinde kaspaz-3 hücre sayısı kontrol grubundan yüksekken, L-karnitin sonra verildiğinde kaspaz-3 hücre sayısının kontrol grubuna benzer şekilde olduğu görülmüştür
Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, alveolar hasar oluşumunda L-karnitin takviyesinin antiapoptotik etkisinin olduğu ve tedavi edici olarak kullanılmasının daha büyük önem taşıyacağını düşünmekteyiz.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Karbon Tetraklorür, Kaspaz-3, L-karnitin, Apoptoz.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Karbon Tetraklorür
• Kaspaz-3
• L-karnitin
• Apoptoz

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