Protective effect of reduced glutathione on the liver injury induced by acute omethoate poisoning

Lina Lu; Xiuli Wang; Liwei Lang; Fenghua Fu

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2010.08.001

Protective effect of reduced glutathione on the liver injury induced by acute omethoate poisoning

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2010 Nov;30(3):279-83. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2010.08.001. Epub 2010 Aug 11.

Authors

Lina Lu¹, Xiuli Wang, Liwei Lang, Fenghua Fu

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Yantai University, 32 Qingquan Road, Laishan District, Yantai, Shandong 264005, PR China.

PMID: 21787660
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2010.08.001

Abstract

Omethoate is an organophosphate insecticide with high toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of exogenous reduced glutathione (GSH) on omethoate-induced liver injury. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, OM (omethoate poisoning), and OM+GSH (omethoate poisoning treated with GSH). The activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in plasma, free organophosphate (FOP) in the liver were determined, and the histopathological changes in the liver were observed. Furthermore, TNF-α and NO in liver homogenate were assayed. The results showed that AChE activity was significantly inhibited by omethoate, but was not altered by GSH treatment. GSH was able to prevent hepatocellular edema and fatty degeneration, decrease liver FOP, attenuate the increased AST and ALT activity, and decline the increase of TNF-α and NO induced by omethoate. These results indicate GSH can attenuate liver injury, and suggest that GSH may be administered to protect the organ from injury in patients with acute organophosphate poisoning.