CYTOLOGICAL STUDY ON RAT ISOLATED HEPATOCYTES AND POSSIBLE PROTECTION OF GINGER (EXTRACT AND NANOPARTICLES) AGAINST ACETAMINOPHEN TOXICITY

Ginger is one of most important medicinal plants which used in variable diseases. Recently, ginger nanoparticles have been isolated from ginger extract and exhibited anti-apoptotic activity, hepatoprotective effect against alcohol and may effectively reduce colitis. Our study aimed to compare between the effect of ginger extract and ginger nanoparticles at concentration of 60 µg/ml against hepatotoxicity caused by acetaminophen (APAP; N-acetyl-para-aminophenol) at concentration of 0.1 mg/ml using primary isolated rat hepatocytes. Cytotoxicity was determined by assessing cell viability and leakage of cytosolic enzymes, such as (ALT& AST). Oxidative stress was investigated by measuring levels of MDA and catalase enzymes. The cytopathological lesions were detected by light microscope. Exposure of isolated rat hepatocytes to APAP caused cytotoxicity and oxidative injury, manifested by loss of cell viability and significant increase of enzymes leakages. Also, APAP caused progressive depletion of catalase content and increase in intracellular MDA accumulation, in addition to alteration in histological structures of the cells. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with either GE or GNPs ameliorated the hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress and enzymatic leakage induced by APAP. However, GNPs were more effective compared to ginger extract pre-treated hepatocytes.