Protective effects of fullerenol on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in rats

An important biologically-relevant property of fullerenol. is its ability to quench free radicals Carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity model was used to investigate the possible mechanisms of fullerenol protection in Sprague-Dawley rats in this study Rats were administrated with fullerenol (0, 1, 15 and 5 mg/kg d) by intravenous or intraperitoneal injection for 3 days before CCl(4) challenge, 24 h following the CCl(4) challenge, all the rats were assessed using serum and tissue homogenates biomarkers as well as the pathological evaluation All results showed that CCl(4) caused significant increasing serum activity of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, as well as the concentration of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine Malondialdehyde level was also increased significantly, whereas the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione was decreased in tissue homogenates The pathological evaluation indicated the liver and kidney were damaged by CCl(4) Fullerenol-pretreatment alleviated biomarker changes as well as histological changes significantly, and fullerenol-pretreatment alone can increase the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione, which indicated fullerenol could protect tissues against CCl(4)-induced oxidative stress by improving the antioxidant ability (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved