The Protective Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Sesame Oil on Cyclosporine-A Induced Liver Apoptosis

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

Objective: Cyclosporine A (CsA) is the most effective and widely used immunosuppressant in solid organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases.Despite its benefits, the clinical use of CsA is limited by its nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic properties.Omega-3 fatty acids (O-3) comprise a family of unsaturated fatty acids that consist of α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which has antioxidant properties.On the other hand, sesame oil (SO) contains many constituents, including a variety of antioxidant vitamins, glycerol esters of different fatty acids, and sesamol, which was recently reported to be a potent antioxidant, etc.In our study, we aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of O-3 and SO against CsA-induced liver apoptosis in rats.Methods: Seven groups of 7 rats/group were treated with saline/drugs for 15 days.In group 1, only saline was given orally (Po).In group 2, subcutaneous (s.c.) CsA was administered (15 mg/kg/day).In group 3, CsA (15 mg/kg/day; sc) and SO (1 ml/kg, Po) were given.In group 4, CsA (15 mg/kg/day; sc) and O-3 (100 mg/kg; Po) were given orally.In group 5, CsA (15 mg/kg/day; sc) and SO (1 ml/kg; Po) and O-3 (100 mg/kg; Po) were given synchronously.In group 6, only SO (1 ml/kg; Po) and in group 7 only O-3 (100 mg/kg, Po) were given.24 h after the last treatments animals were sacrificed and livers were extracted.Apoptotic cells in liver tissues were counted using the TUNEL method.Results: In the group treated with CsA (Group 2), the number of apoptotic hepatocytes was significantly higher than the control group (Group 1) (p<0.001).Groups treated with SO (Group 3) or O-3 (Group 4) or both (Group 5) in addition to CsA have a reduced apoptotic cell count compared to CsA-treated group, but still significantly higher than the control group (p<0.001 for all 3 groups).Furthermore, the apoptotic cell count in the groups treated with SO-alone and O-3-alone were as low as in the control group.Conclusion: We indicated for the first time that O-3 and SO treatment has a protective effect against apoptosis induced by CsA in rats.Moreover, our study also revealed that SO and O-3 do not show any pro-apoptotic effects on the liver.The mechanisms underlying hepatoprotection of SO and O-3 may be related to both their free radical scavenging properties and indirect effects as a regulator of antioxidative systems.Thus, SO and O-3 can be candidates as good chemoprotectants.(JAREM 2011; 1: 8-11)