Thymoquinone attenuates lung injury induced by chronic toluene exposure in rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was designed to evaluate the possible protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) on the lung injury in rats after chronic toluene exposure. The rats were randomly allotted into one of three experimental groups: control, toluene-treated and toluene-treated with TQ; each group contain 10 animals. Control group received 1 mL serum physiologic and toluene treatment was performed by inhalation of 3000 parts per million (ppm) toluene, in an 8-hr/day and 6 day/week order for 12 weeks. The rats in TQ treated group was given TQ (50 mg/kg body weight) once a day orally for 12 weeks starting just after toluene exposure. Tissue samples were obtained for histopathological investigation. To date, no histopathological changes of lung in rats after chronic toluene exposure by TQ treatment have been reported. Our study showed that TQ treatment inhibits the inflammatory pulmonary responses reducing significantly peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar septal infiltration, alveolar edema, alveolar exudate, interstitial fibrosis and necrosis formation in toluene-treated rats. Our data indicate a significant reduction in the activity of in situ identification of apoptosis using terminal dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and a rise in the expression of surfactant protein D in lung tissue of toluene-treated with TQ therapy. We believe that further preclinical research into the utility of TQ may indicate its usefulness as a potential treatment on lung injury after chronic toluene exposure in rats.

The Effect of Thymoquinone on BEAS-2B Cell Viability and TGF-β1 Release

“…In addition, TGF-β1 levels were shown to increase in 80 µmol/L concentration at 24-h duration. As a result, our data was correlated with previous studies by Kanter [19] and El-Khouly et al [20] where thymoquinone was shown to have a positive effect on lung fibrosis. Due to the positive relationship between cancer and fibrosis, which was demonstrated in previous studies [16][17][18] , our results give rise to the positive effect of thymoquinone on cancer.…”

“…When Kanter [19] evaluated the possible protector effect of thymoquinone in his study, thymoquinone was shown to decrease pulmonary inflammatory response by reducing the peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar septal infiltration, alveolar edema, alveolar exudate, interstitial fibrosis and necrosis. In another study [20] where bleomycin induced rats were used as pulmonary fibrosis model, the effect of thymoquinone on the severity of oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response was evaluated.…”

Acute cardiotoxic effects of high dose toluene: an experimental study

“…In addition, it can affect the concentrations of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium and calcium, as well as, the levels of many different neurotransmitters. Some investigators have maintained that it blocks sodium channels and thus could lead to arrhythmia (17). In studies dealing with the effects of toluene on the heart, very different findings have been reported for heart rate (tachycardia, bradycardia), blood pressure (hypotension, hypertension), and ECG (QRS enlargement, branch block, PR extension, QT changes) depending upon the dose and duration of exposure (18)(19)(20).…”

Potential Effects of Thymoquinone the Active Constituent of Black Seed (Nigella Sativa L.) on Human Health

“…96 Timokinonun, antiapoptotik etki göstererek sıçanlarda kronik toluen maruziyeti kaynaklı akciğer hasarını azalttığı ve timokinonun siklofosfamid kaynaklı pulmoner hasara karşı koruyucu olduğu gösterilmiştir. 97,98 Pelin GÜZELSOY ve ark. J Lit Pharm Sci 2018;7(2): Timokinonun; sıçanlarda bleomisinin indüklediği, pulmoner fibröz ilerleyişini azalttığı, hava alveollerinde amfizemi, inflamatuar hücre infiltrasyonunu, bronş etrafındaki lenfoid hiperplastik hücre aktivasyonunu ve bleomisin kaynaklı akciğer dokusunda NF-κB'nin aktif form over-ekspresyonunu önlediği ve glutatyon S-transferaz ve SOD antioksidan enzim aktivitesini normal değerlere düzelttiği bildirilmiştir.…”