Glycyrrhizic acid ameliorates sodium nitrite-induced lung and salivary gland toxicity: Impact on oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis

Abstract

Despite wide application of sodium nitrite (SN) as food additive, it exhibits considerable side effects on various body organs at high dose or chronic exposure. The aim of this study was to test whether Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) could ameliorate SN-induced toxicity in lung and submandibular salivary gland (SMG). A sample size of 30 adult male albino rats was randomly allocated into 3 groups. Group 1 served as control group. Rats were treated orally with 80 mg/kg of SN in group 2 or SN preceded by (15 mg/kg) GA in group 3. Lung & SMG tissues were used for oxidative stress assessment, examination of histopathological changes, fibrosis (MTC, TGF-β and α-SMA) and inflammation (TNF-α, IL-1β and CD-68). Concurrent administration of GA ameliorated pulmonary and salivary SN-induced toxicity via restoring the antioxidant defense mechanisms with reduction of MDA levels. GA reduced the key regulators of fibrosis TGF-β and α-SMA and collagen deposition. In addition to reduction of inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β) and macrophages recruitments, GA amended both pulmonary and salivary morphological changes. The present study proposed GA as a promising natural herb with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects against pulmonary and salivary SN-induced toxicity.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Glycyrrhizic acid ameliorates submandibular gland oxidative stress, autophagy and vascular dysfunction in rat model of type 1 diabetes

“…Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is the major active constituent of a Chinese herbal medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra and possesses a wide spectrum of pharmacological actions as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities 16 . Additionally, our team has recently reported its ameliorating effect on salivary gland toxicity induced by sodium nitrite 17 . In diabetes, much evidence verified the ameliorative effects of GA on associated complications 18 – 20 .…”

Dietary Sodium Nitrite Causes Similar Modifications to Splenic Inflammatory Gene Expression as a High-Fat Diet

“…Treatment with NaNO2 (80 mg/kg/d, 3 mo) by oral gavage is reported to increase renal and testicular levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6) and decrease their levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) in rats (7,8). This treatment also results in increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-a, IL-1b) and accelerated recruitment of macrophages in lung and submandibular salivary gland of rats (9), and leads to increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-1b) in rats (10). In contrast, Justice et al (11) have shown that pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1b, IFN-g, TNF-a) are markedly increased in quadriceps of old mice (age 20-24 mo) compared with young animals (3 mo), but are reduced to young levels by oral consumption of NaNO2 (6.656 2.1 mg/kg/d, 8 wk).…”

Role of Κb and Ap-1 Transcription Factors in Changes in Nitric Oxide Production and Utilization in the Heart of Rats Under Chronic Fluoride Intoxication

“…Продукти метаболізму NO також мають неоднозначний вплив на організм. Так, надмірне надходження нітриту натрію призводить до розвитку ушкодження легенів і слинних залоз шляхом ініціації розвитку оксидативного стресу і запалення з подальшим розвитком фіброзних змін в цих органах [3]. Також нітрит натрію призводить до утворення метгемоглобіну і здатний активувати процеси перекисного окислення ліпідів в мембрані еритроцитів [4].…”