Protection of CCl₄-induced hepatic and renal damage by linalool

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to determine the protective and therapeutic effects of linalool against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Six-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control group (a regular diet); CCl₄ group (1 ml/kg dissolved in olive oil, intraperitoneally at 14th day); pretreatment group (25 mg/kg linalool daily + CCl₄ 14thday); post-treatment group (25 mg/kg linalool 2, 6, 24, and 48 h after the injection of CCl₄ at 14^th day); and linalool group (25 mg/kg linalool daily, orally). All animals were sacrificed, tissue and blood samples were collected to analysis. Administration of CCl₄ resulted in a marked increase in hepatic (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase) and renal (blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) markers. Also, CCl₄ resulted in pathological damages, a significant increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde , tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and Interleukin 6 , expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells and a significant decrease in the levels of serum total protein, serum albumin, and antioxidants. However, in pretreatment and post treatment groups, linalool significantly inhibited CCl4- induced hepatic and nephric damages. These results demonstrate that linalool has protective and therapeutic effects in an in vitro model of CCL₄-induced hepatic and nephric damage, proposing linalool as a potential therapeutic agent against chemical and drug induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.

Keywords:

• Linalool
• hepatotoxicity
• nephrotoxicity
• natural compounds
• oxidative stress

Acknowledgements

The part of the data provided in this article was extracted from the Pharm D. thesis of Dr. Saeedeh Shamsi. The thesis was conducted under supervision of Dr. Ahmad Salimi and Dr. Lotfollah Rezagholizadeh at Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Deputy of Research with ethics code IR.ARUMS.REC.1398.281.