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KMID : 1101220020340020125
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2002 Volume.34 No. 2 p.125 ~ p.130
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The Effect of Vitamin C and E for Toluene Hepatotoxicity in Rats
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Bae Si-Woo
Yoon In-Sook
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Abstract
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Toluene is mainly metabolized in the liver by the oxidative pathway. Oxygen free radicals occur through the process of toluene metabolism. Therefore, tissue and cell injury occurs by oxygen free radicals from the metabolism of toluene. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that maintains many metal cofactors in the reduced state. Vitamin E( -tocopherol) acts as an antioxidant, breaking free-radical chain reactions as a result of their ability to transfer a phenolic hydrogen to a peroxyl free radical of a peroxidasised polyunsaturated fatty acid. Therefore vitamin C and E act as highly efficient free radical scavengers that protect cells from damage by oxygen free radicals. To test this hypothesis, toluene hepatotoxicity was induced by an abdominal injection of toluene. To see if vitamin C and E protects the rat`s liver, vitamin C and E was administrated orally, at the time of each toluene injection. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), latic dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in serum were measured to estimate hepatic function. Melondialdehyde (MDA), which gives an indirect index of oxidative injury was also measured. Hippuric acid, the last metabolic production of toluene, was measured by HPLC. There were significantly higher values in AST, ALT, LDH, MDA and hippuric acid in the toluene group, but the values were mostly lower in vitamin C and E groups than in toluene group. There were significantly lower values in ALP in the toluene group, but there were no significant differences between the vitamin C and E groups, suggesting a significant hepatotoxicity due to oxygen free radicals through the process of toluene metabolism. Vitamin C and E treatment significantly protected hepatic function and free radical-mediated injury in the liver against toluene-induced changes. Accordingly, this study shows that vitamin C and E is helpful in protecting against liver injury by acute toluene intoxication.
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KEYWORD
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Toluene hepatotoxicity, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Hippuric acid
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