Background/Aims: Steroids have been shown to prevent intestinal oxidative stress. We investigated the effects of methylprednisolone on intestinal oxidative damage and bacterial translocation in thioacetamide-induced liver failure in rats.
Materials and Methods: Group 1 (n=8) was the control group. In group 2 (n=8), the thioacetamide group, rats received 300 mg/kg intraperitoneal thioacetamide daily for 2 days. In group 3 (n=8), the thioacetami de+methylprednisolone group, treatment with methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg intraperitoneal) was commenced 48 h before the first dose of thioacetamide. In group 4 (n=8), the methylprednisolone group, the rats received only methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg intraperitoneal).
Results: Serious hepatic and intestinal oxidative damage and high bacterial translocation frequencies were observed in the thioacetamide group compared with those of the controls. Bacterial translocation frequency in the thioacetamide+methylprednisolone group was significantly lower than that in the thioacetamide group (p<0.05). Intestinal thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and myeloperoxidase levels and tissue damage scores for the intestines in the thioacetamide+methylprednisolone group were lower than those in the thioacetamide group (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p<0.0001, respectively).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that methylprednisolone reduces bacterial translocation by preventing intestinal oxidative damage in this model of acute liver failure in rats.
C1 [Harputluoglu, Murat Muhsin Muhip; Seckin, Yuksel; Aladag, Murat] Inonu Univ, Sch Med, Dept Gastroenterol, Malatya, Turkey.
[Temel, Ismail; Ozyalin, Fatma; Aydogan, Nilay] Inonu Univ, Dept Biochem, Sch Med, Malatya, Turkey.
[Demirel, Ulvi] Elazig Training & Res Hosp, Dept Gastroenterol, Elazig, Turkey.
[Otlu, Baris] Inonu Univ, Sch Med, Dept Microbiol, Malatya, Turkey.
[Karadag, Nese] Inonu Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pathol, Malatya, Turkey.
[Selcuk, Engin Burak] Inonu Univ, Sch Med, Dept Family Med, Malatya, Turkey.