The effect of thymoquinone on nuclear factor kappa B levels and oxidative DNA damage on experimental diabetic rats

Abstract

Background:Thymoquinone (TQ), the basic bioactive phytochemical constituent of seed oil of Nigella sativa, is one of these herbal drugs known for antidiabetic effects. This study was carried out to assess the effects of the possible role of TQ on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and oxidative DNA damage levels in experimental diabetic rats.Materials and Methods:Twenty-eight male Wistar Albino rats (200–250 g) were used as experimental subjects. The rats were divided into four groups, including the control, control supplemented with TQ (CT), diabetic (D), and diabetic supplemented with TQ (DT), each containing seven rats. The D and the DT groups were treated with 45 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) (intraperitoneal). TQ was administered 30 mg/kg/day for 21 days by oral gavage in the DT and the T groups.Results:It was determined that glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities were decreased significantly and approached the control group in the DT group after TQ supplement (P < 0.05). Urea levels were the lowest in CT (P < 0.05). Oxidative DNA damage (8 hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine) was increased in both of the diabetic groups (D and DT). The NF-κB levels were the highest in Group D (P < 0.05).Conclusion:It was observed that increased glucose and HbA1c levels and the indicators of liver and kidney damages were decreased significantly after TQ supplementation. Oxidative DNA damage and NF-κB levels were increased in the diabetic group, and TQ administration caused a statistically insignificant reduction.SUMMARY In this study, the effects of thymoquinone (TQ), the basic bioactive phytochemical constituent of seed oil of Nigella sativa, on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), oxidative DNA damage levels, and, some biochemical parameters was invesigated. It was observed that some biochemical parameters (glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), ALT, AST, GGT) were close to the control group after TQ treatment in diabetic group. Oxidative DNA damage (8 hydroxy 2 deoxyguanosine) and NF-κB were highest levels and TQ implementation caused statistically insignificant decrease, in the diabetic group. Abbreviations used: 8-OHdG: 8 hydroxi-2-deoxiguanosin; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; HbA1c: Glycosylated hemoglobin; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa protein; STZ: Streptozotocin; TQ: Thymoquinone.

Investigation of the protective and therapeutic effects of β-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA) and Thymoquinone in the diabetic nephropathy

“…In this study, it was found that the serum glucose level decreased in the TQ and BAIBA groups. This result coincides with the data in the literature (Kanter, 2009;Omran, 2014;Shi et al, 2016;Usta & Dede, 2017).…”

Nigella Plants – Traditional Uses, Bioactive Phytoconstituents, Preclinical and Clinical Studies

“…Essential oil extracted from N. sativa seeds with higher thymoquinone content showed stronger antioxidant activity than other essential oils ( Abedi et al, 2017 ). In this context, Usta and Dede (2017) assessed role of thymoquinone on oxidative DNA damage and NF-κB levels in diabetic rats. The results revealed that the oxidative DNA damage (8 hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine) and NF-κB levels were insignificantly lowered after treatment.…”

“…It was related to the capacity of thymoquinone to increase insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells through a SIRT1-dependent mechanism ( Karandrea et al, 2017 ). Glycemic parameters were momentously controlled by the administration of thymoquinone (8) to the diabetic rats ( Usta and Dede, 2017 ). El-Aarag et al (2017) also investigated the effects of this compound to boost anti-diabetic properties of metformin in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in male rats.…”