Protective Effects of Esculetin at two Different Doses on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Fibrotic Changes in AlCl₃-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats
TL;DR
AlCl₃ exposure led to increased MDA levels and decreased GSH levels, with reduced SOD and CAT activities in heart tissue, which led to increased MDA levels and decreased GSH levels, with reduced SOD and CAT activities in heart tissue.
Abstract
Objective: Aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) is an environmental toxicant that promotes cardiotoxicity primarily by inducing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Esculetin (ESC), which is a naturally occurring coumarin derivative, possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic activities. This study evaluated the protective effects of ESC against AlCl₃-induced cardiotoxicity, with a focus on dose-related responses.Methods: 35 male Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to five experimental groups (n=7 per group): Control, Vehicle, AlCl₃ (10 mg/kg), AlCl₃ + ESC50 (50 mg/kg), and AlCl₃ + ESC100 (100 mg/kg). All experimental treatments were administered orally once daily throughout the 14-day study period. Cardiac tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were determined to assess oxidative stress. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) were measured to evaluate the inflammatory response. Histopathological changes and the immunoreactivity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were also evaluated.Results: AlCl₃ exposure led to increased MDA levels and decreased GSH levels, with reduced SOD and CAT activities in heart tissue (P