The Effect of Thyme Oil and Thymol on Hepatic Gene Expression Levels in Rabbits with Induced Hepatic Lipidosis

Year 2025, Volume: 18 Issue: 3, 250 - 262, 03.10.2025

Gencay Ekinci , Vehbi Güneş

Abstract

Rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet (HCD) exhibit various physiopathologic features of hepatic lipidosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of thyme oil and thymol on inflammation-related hepatic gene expression levels in a HCD-induced hepatic lipidosis model. Male New Zealand rabbits were divided into 6 groups. These groups were; Standard rabbit chow, Standard rabbit chow + thymol, Standard rabbit chow + thyme oil, High cholesterol diet, High cholesterol diet + thymol, High cholesterol diet + thyme oil. Blood samples were collected at 0, 4, 8 and 11 weeks during the study. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels were analyzed. The mRNA expression levels of inflammation-related genes from liver tissue were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The expression levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-17 and interferon gamma genes were lower, whereas the expression levels of IL-9, IL-13, IL-18 and RAR-related orphan receptor gamma genes were higher in rabbits fed with HCD compared to the normal diet group (p<0.05). Thymol increased T-box transcription factor, IL-4, IL-17 and IL-18 gene expression. Thyme oil increased GATA binding protein 3 and IL-18 gene expression. In conclusion, thymol and thyme oil suppressed the expression of some inflammation-related genes and upregulated the expression of others. It can be stated that thymol and thyme oil may have positive effects on the prevention or correction of the inflammatory process from the gene level in the hepatic lipidosis model induced by HCD.

Keywords

Hepatic lipidosis , High cholesterol diet , Hypercholesterolemia , Thyme oil , Thymol

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was received for this study from the Animal Experiments Local Ethics Committee of Erciyes University (Date: 04.03.2020, Number: 20/069)

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Department with project number TDK-2017-7600.

Project Number

TDK-2017-7600

Thanks

I would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet EKEN and his team for their help in the laboratory studies of the thesis, Prof. Dr. Ahmet ÖZTÜRK who performed the statistical analysis of the data, Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects (BAP) unit that provided financial support for the realization of the project, Erciyes University Experimental Research Application and Research Center (DEKAM) and its staff where I conducted the experimental studies, Erciyes University Genome and Stem Cell Center (GENKÖK) and its staff where I conducted the laboratory studies.

Hepatik Lipidozis Oluşturulan Tavşanlarda Kekik Yağı ve Timol’ün Hepatik Gen Ekspresyon Seviyelerine Etkisi

Abstract

Yüksek kolesterol diyetiyle beslenen tavşanlar hepatik lipidozisin çeşitli fizyopatolojik özelliklerini gösterirler. Bu çalışmada, yüksek kolestrol diyeti ile indüklenmiş non-obez hepatik lipidozisin modelinde, kekik yağı ve timol’ün inflamasyonla ilişkili hepatik gen ekspresyon seviyeleri üzerine etkisinin araştırılması amaçlandı. Erkek Yeni Zelanda ırkı tavşanlar 6 gruba ayrıldı. Bu gruplar; Standart tavşan yemi, Standart tavşan yemi + timol, Standart tavşan yemi + kekik yağı, Yüksek kolesterol diyeti, Yüksek kolesterol diyeti + timol, Yüksek kolesterol diyeti + kekik yağı. Çalışma süresince 0., 4., 8. ve 11. haftalarda kan örnekleri alındı. Total kolesterol, yüksek yoğunluklu lipoprotein kolesterol, düşük yoğunluklu lipoprotein kolesterol ve trigliserit düzeyleri analiz edildi. Karaciğer dokusundan inflamasyonla ilişkili genlerin mRNA ekspresyon seviyleri gerçek zamanlı polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu yöntemiyle analiz edildi. Yüksek kolesterol diyetiyle beslenen tavşanlarda, normal diyet grubuna kıyasla interlökin-4 (IL-4), IL-17 ve interferon gama geninin ekspresyon seviyesi düşük, IL-9, IL-13, IL-18 ve RAR ile ilişkili orfan reseptör gama genlerinin ekspresyon seviyesinin yüksek olduğu belirlendi (p<0.05). Timol T-box transkripsiyon faktörü, IL-4, IL-17 ve IL-18 gen ekspresyonunu artırmıştır. Kekik yağı GATA bağlayıcı protein 3 ve IL-18 gen ekspresyonunu artırmıştır. Sonuç olarak, yüksek kolesterol diyeti ile oluşturulan non-obez hepatik lipidozisin modelinde, timol ve kekik yağının inflamasyonla ilişkili bazı genlerin ifade edilmesini baskıladığı, bazılarının ise ifade edilmesini upregüle ettiği görüldü. Bütün yönleriyle değerlendirildiğine, timol ve kekik yağının yüksek kolesterol diyeti ile tetiklenmiş non-alkolik yağlı karaciğer hastalığı modelinde gen düzeyinden itibaren yangısel sürecin önlenmesinde veya düzeltilmesinde olumlu yönde etkileri olabileceği ifade edilebilir.

Keywords

Hepatik lipidozis , Hiperkolesterolemi , Kekik yağı , Timol , Yüksek kolesterol diyeti

Project Number

TDK-2017-7600

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