Biochemical and molecular study on the beneficial effect of Solubilized coenzyme Q10 on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in adult male rats

Abstract

The current work aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of both solubilized Coenzyme Q10 and Silymarin on liver injury. Thirty adult male albino rats, weigh 200±10 g, were allocated into five groups. Hepatic injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection of TAA (20 mg/ kg body weight) twice a week. Solubilized CoQ10 (20 mg/kg) and Silymarin (50 mg/kg) were taken orally for 28 days. The present results showed that the values for aspartate/platelet ratio (APRI) as well as aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR) were increased by TAA treatment. While treatments using coenzyme Q10 and Silymarin decreased these values near the control levels. The solubilized CoQ10 could attenuate TAA liver injury throughout controlling the oxidative stress markers (GSH, GSSG), NO level. Also, down-regulation gene expression of fibrotic markers TGF-β, collagen-1α, and TIMP1 and enhancing the expression for MMP2 and cytochrome P 450 (CYP 2E1& CYP 3A2). Collectively, solubilized CoQ10 singly or combined with Silymarin showed higher therapeutic impacts more than or equivalents to Silymarin treatment for liver fibrosis induced by TAA.