β-sitosterol protects against carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity but not gentamicin nephrotoxicity in rats via the induction of mitochondrial glutathione redox cycling.

ABSTRACT: Previous findings have demonstrated that β-sitosterol (BSS), an active component of Cistanches Herba, protected against oxidant injury in H9c2 cardiomyocytes and in rat hearts by enhancing mitochondrial glutathione redox cycling, possibly through the intermediacy of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. We therefore hypothesized that BSS pretreatment can also confer tissue protection against oxidant injury in other vital organs such as liver and kidney of rats. In this study, the effects of BSS pretreatment on rat models of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) hepatotoxicity and gentamicin nephrotoxicity were investigated. The findings showed that BSS pretreatment protected against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity, but not gentamicin nephrotoxicity in rats. The hepatoprotection afforded by B

SUBMITTER: Wong HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6271253 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature