Centella asiatica extract protects against cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity via targeting oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis

• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18626-z
• Publication Date: 2022-01-14T13:02:29Z
• Authors: Irmak Ferah Okkay; Ufuk Okkay; Ismail Cagri Aydin; Cemil Bayram; Muhammed Sait Ert...; Ali Sefa Mendil; Ahmet Hacimuftuoglu
• Keywords: Centella

This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Centella asiatica (CA) on cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity and to clarify the underlying mechanism by biochemical, molecular, immunohistochemical, and histopathological analyses. Rats were pre-treated with two doses of CA (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) for 14 consecutive days. Then, on the 15th day, hepatotoxicity was induced by a single cisplatin injection (10 mg/kg i.p.). On the 18th day, the rats were euthanized. CA effectively alleviated cisplatin-induced hepatic injury via reduction in AST, ALT, and ALP enzymes and a decrease in oxidative stress (decreased MDA and ROS, and increased SOD, CAT, and GSH). CA also mitigated the inflammatory damage by the inhibition of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κB. The liver expression of caspase-3 and Bax was downregulated, while Bcl-2 was upregulated. Moreover, immunohistochemical results confirmed the recovery with CA by downregulation of iNOS and 8-OHdG expression. These results showed that with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities, CA could help alleviate the hepatotoxic effects of cisplatin chemotherapy.